1st Advantage MortgageOrange County households have a median income of $90,089 and median rent of $1,496 a month (ACS 2020 to 2024). A loan makes sense only if its total cost beats your alternatives and the payment fits your budget. Check the lender's North Carolina license first.
On this page
- Getting oriented in Orange County
- Paychecks and income spread in Orange County
- Rent, home values and ownership in Orange County
- Jobs and commutes in Orange County
- Places inside Orange County
- Counties near Orange County
- What a median Orange County budget can carry
- More Orange County figures
- Borrowing situations common in Orange County
- Licensing and complaints for Orange County
- A Orange County borrower's checklist
- More guides for Orange County
- Frequently asked questions
Getting oriented in Orange County
Roughly 149,678 residents live in Orange County, North Carolina, 21st by population among the state's 100 counties and county equivalents. It covers 398 square miles of land, or about 377 people per square mile. For statistical purposes it belongs to the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, as delineated by the Office of Management and Budget in July 2023. The Census Bureau counts 4 places in the county (3 incorporated, 1 census-designated); the largest is Chapel Hill, with about 61,607 residents, or 41% of the county.
Paychecks and income spread in Orange County
The median household income in Orange County is $90,089; statewide it is $72,388, so Orange County runs 24% above North Carolina as a whole.
| Yearly household income | Orange County | Gap to North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 20.0% | -3.2 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 34.7% | -6.8 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 24.8% | -0.2 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 20.5% | +10.2 pts |
Some 20% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 45% have six-figure incomes. The poverty rate is 12.5%, 1 point lower than the state's 13.0%. Income inequality, measured by the Gini index, comes to 0.514 here. For a borrower in Orange County, the county median is only context: a lender looks at the income you can document, so pay stubs, benefit letters or tax returns matter more than any average.
Rent, home values and ownership in Orange County
Renters in Orange County pay a median of $1,496 a month, 22% above the North Carolina figure of $1,228. By the Census definition, 58% of Orange County renters are cost-burdened. With a median value of $459,500, a typical Orange County house costs 5.1 times what the median household earns in a year. Owners occupy 64% of homes. Half the housing stock was built before 1990.
| Cost | Orange County | North Carolina figure | Median county, U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,496/mo | $1,228/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $459,500 | $288,900 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 64% | 67% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 58% | 49% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 22% | 25% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 5.2% | 11.0% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 9% | 13% | n/a |
When half or more of renters are already stretched, a new payment needs a stress test: what happens if a paycheck is a week late?
Jobs and commutes in Orange County
By the Census industry count, 37% of employed Orange County residents work in education and health care and 16% in professional and administrative services. Compared with North Carolina, the county leans toward education and health care (37% against 23%). ACS puts five-year average unemployment at 3.6% in Orange County. About 55% drive to work alone and 10% have trips of 45 minutes or more. 4.9% of households have no vehicle.
| Where residents work | Orange County | Difference from North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 37.1% | +14.6 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 16.1% | +3.5 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 9.1% | +0.8 pts |
| Retail trade | 8.3% | -2.9 pts |
| Manufacturing | 5.5% | -6.2 pts |
| Construction | 5.1% | -2.3 pts |
Shorter commutes usually mean lower vehicle costs, which can leave more room for a payment, or for paying a loan off early.
Places inside Orange County
The table lists the 4 largest of 4 Census places in Orange County, by population. Together all 4 hold about 94,146 people, so roughly 37% of residents live outside any named place. Hillsborough has the highest median household income on the list ($98,163) and Efland the lowest ($65,735), counting places with at least 500 residents. City guides exist for the linked Orange County places; everyone else in the county can use this page.
| Community | Type | Residents | Household income (median) | Rent (median) | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chapel Hill | town | 61,607 | $85,989 | $1,613 | 10 mi |
| Carrboro | town | 21,204 | $85,743 | $1,470 | 10 mi |
| Hillsborough | town | 9,724 | $98,163 | $1,368 | 2 mi |
| Efland | CDP | 1,611 | $65,735 | n/a | 3 mi |
Counties near Orange County
Six nearby counties, 14 to 31 miles away by the straight-line distance between their centers. Chatham County leads the group on income ($94,317), Caswell County trails ($59,755), and Orange County out-earns 5 of the six.
| Nearby county | Center to center | Household income | Gross rent | Owner-occupied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County | - | $90,089 | $1,496/mo | 64% |
| Durham County, NC | 14 mi | $82,316 | $1,508/mo | 55% |
| Alamance County, NC | 16 mi | $65,651 | $1,064/mo | 65% |
| Person County, NC | 24 mi | $63,300 | $864/mo | 77% |
| Chatham County, NC | 26 mi | $94,317 | $1,180/mo | 81% |
| Caswell County, NC | 26 mi | $59,755 | $727/mo | 75% |
| Granville County, NC | 31 mi | $71,111 | $1,008/mo | 77% |
What a median Orange County budget can carry
Here is the Orange County median household run through a simple DTI check. Your numbers will differ.
- $7,507 a month: gross income for a household at the Orange County median
- Median rent: $1,496, or 20 cents of every gross dollar
- Under a 40% cap, $3,003 total minus rent leaves $1,507
Subtract what you already pay on other debts. A new payment should fit in what remains, with some to spare.
More Orange County figures
62% of Orange County adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or more. 6.5% of residents have no health coverage.
| Orange County | North Carolina | U.S. county median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.1 | 39.1 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 61.8% | 35.7% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 6.6% | 9.9% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 6.5% | 9.9% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 4.9% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 26.8% | 16.3% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 12.5% | 13.0% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 3.6% | 4.7% | 4.4% |
| Minutes to work | Orange County workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 26.2% |
| 15 to 29 min | 44.0% |
| 30 to 44 min | 19.4% |
| 45 to 59 min | 5.4% |
| 60+ min | 5.1% |
Borrowing situations common in Orange County
What the Orange County figures suggest, and what to check first:
- Higher earners. 45% of households clear $100,000; shop at least three lenders and pick the shortest term.
- 58% rent-burdened. A payment on top of high rent needs a cushion; size it with the calculator.
- Check your file. An error fixed before you apply can change the offers a Orange County borrower sees (free reports).
Licensing and complaints for Orange County
No county office licenses personal lenders. For Orange County, check the North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks. A CFPB complaint gets forwarded to the company for a response. See the North Carolina state guide for the statewide picture.
A Orange County borrower's checklist
Quick steps for Orange County:
- Write down what the expense costs; a smaller loan costs less.
- Collect three written offers and compare APR and total repaid.
- Check the license, then the reviews, then the offer.
- Ask about early-payoff penalties.
More guides for Orange County
City guides inside Orange County, and the statewide guide:
Frequently asked questions
What is the median household income in Orange County?
$90,089 a year in the 2020 to 2024 Census survey, versus $72,388 for North Carolina. It ranks 6th of 100 in the state.
Is Orange County expensive for renters?
Median rent is $1,496 against $1,228 statewide, and 58% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Does this page cover Chapel Hill?
Yes, along with the other 3 Census places in Orange County, such as Carrboro, Hillsborough, Efland.
Will a Orange County address affect my match?
Beyond confirming North Carolina as your state, no. Your answers about amount, credit, income and payments are all that count.
Who do I complain to about a lender in Orange County?
Start with the North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks, then the CFPB complaint portal. Keep copies of every message.