The story of this market
The typical home in Orange County, North Carolina sells for about $571,244, or $266 per square foot.
Prices are up +5.2% from a year ago, so sellers still have some momentum. Homes take about 32 days to sell. Over the long run, values in this county have grown 117% since 2000. Last year 22 of 39 neighborhoods saw prices rise, so the story isn't the same street to street. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $1,745 a month.
HUD sets the fair market rent for a 2-bedroom at $1,745 a month. FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall hazard risk here as Relatively Low.
Price climate
Every year of price change, 2000–2025
0%
2025
Each stripe is one year's median price change across the area's census tracts (FHFA repeat-sales index). Deep blue is a strong gain year, red a falling year. Best: 2022 (+19%). Worst: 2010 (-2.8%). Hover to read a year.
Monthly price momentum
Home values since 2015
+2.7%
NC · past 12 months
Freddie Mac House Price Index, single-family homes, monthly through 2026-08. Each line starts at 100 in January 2015, so a reading of 180 means prices are up 80% since then.
Rent benchmark
Fair market rent by size
$2,161
3-bed / month
HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal 2027, for this county. A typical rent for a modest unit, used to set housing-voucher payments.
Neighborhood price trend
Long-run price trend, 2000–2025
0%
2025 change
FHFA repeat-sales index, median of 39 census tracts in this county (2000 = 100). Bars are each year's median change.
Natural hazard exposure
The area's risk shape
31
Relatively Low
FEMA National Risk Index. Each spoke is a hazard ranked nationally, where 100 is the most exposed. Expected annual loss: $49,711,436.
Mortgage activity
Home lending in this county
82.8%
2018 approval rate
| Year | Applications | Loans made | Approval | Investor share | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 6036 | 3579 | 82.8% | 5.1% | $385,000 |
CFPB Home Mortgage Disclosure Act records: every mortgage application reported by lenders for homes in this county. Approval rate is approved ÷ decided (withdrawn and incomplete files excluded). Investor share and home value are the median census tract.
Orange County, North Carolina
Orange County's housing market remains resilient with a median home sale price around $571,000 and homes moving in approximately 32 days. Strong institutional employment via UNC and proximity to Research Triangle Park sustain high buyer demand despite elevated mortgage rates. While active inventory and price adjustments have increased slightly, solid sale-to-list ratios reflect continuing seller leverage in desirable school zones.
No ARED distress-ledger coverage for this county yet — the foreclosure ingest rotates the national county directory, and filings appear here once the county's posted notices are read. Key-figure check: no independent anchor retained yet — first-researched cycles establish the anchor baseline this pass.
Select a city to expand its ZIP intel reports beneath · 5 cities · 9 ZIP reports
Median prices moved up 0.0% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 83 days on market with 0.1 months of supply — a fast-moving market.
1% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 2.21% of asking — demand is holding steady.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 3.1% · poverty 12.8% — a stable, low-distress profile.
ACS 2024 5-year estimates. Aggregate published statistics for this county — never individual records, and never an attribute of any individual property or resident.
Deterministic aggregate of 5 researched ZIP reports of 9 — sales_count-weighted (population fallback); per point, children lacking the value or its weight are excluded. Tax rates, sentiment and context notes are tier-native and never roll.
Orange County, North Carolina — researched county-level history with a deterministic 1 / 3 / 5-year projection
Solid: researched ten-year history · dotted: 1 / 3 / 5-year projection extended from the historical 7.5%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
No researched properties in this county yet — the property base layer populates as property research runs, and each property feeds its ZIP's roll-up.
researched Sep 16
researched Sep 20
researched Sep 16
researched Sep 20
researched Sep 16
researched Sep 16
researched Sep 17
researched Sep 16
researched Sep 20
| 27217 | Burlington | $228,458 | $187 | +2% | 21 | 98% | — | 1.1 | 1,100 | $915 | researched Sep 16 |
| 27243 | Efland | $952,750 | $250 | 0% | 47 | — | — | — | 1 | $858 | researched Sep 20 |
| 27278 | Hillsborough | $483,000 | $269 | +1% | 24 | 100% | 32% | 3.8 | 218 | $1,297 | researched Sep 16 |
| 27302 | Mebane | $517,434 | $241 | 0% | 32 | — | — | — | 14 | $1,199 | researched Sep 20 |
| 27510 | Carrboro | $490,000 | $285 | -1.2% | 35 | 98.5% | 18% | 3.2 | 112 | $1,476 | researched Sep 16 |
| 27514 | Chapel Hill | $850,000 | $345 | -1.2% | 22 | 98.5% | 18% | 3.1 | 125 | $1,626 | researched Sep 16 |
| 27516 | Chapel Hill | $662,500 | $274 | 0% | 89 | — | — | — | 238 | $1,564 | researched Sep 17 |
| 27517 | — | $812,400 | $311 | 0% | 47 | — | — | — | 215 | $1,638 | researched Sep 16 |
| 27705 | Durham (portion) | $410,000 | $235 | -1.2% | 19 | 99% | 15% | 2.8 | 116 | $1,539 | researched Sep 20 |
Figures are each ZIP report's own latest research — the county roll-up aggregates them sales_count-weighted (population fallback); ZIPs cycle quarterly.
Orange County maintains an overall crime rate substantially below state and national benchmarks, largely driven by low violent crime levels across both suburban Chapel Hill and rural sections. Pockets of property crime and petty theft are concentrated near commercial nodes and collegiate transit routes, but countywide violent crime remains low.
Orange County is served by two public school systems: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, consistently ranked among the premier districts in North Carolina, and Orange County Schools, which serves Hillsborough and northern rural zones with well-regarded elementary and magnet offerings. Several schools regularly receive top tier GreatSchools performance marks.
The county faces minimal primary coastal hurricane surges, but inland severe wind and convective storm factors present notable vulnerability across heavily wooded parcels. Flood risks are largely localized along the Eno River basin, Morgan Creek, and low-lying tributaries, while overall wildfire hazard remains modest.
Orange County's economic engine is anchored by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health, supplemented by steady bioscience, healthcare, and tech spillover from the nearby Research Triangle Park. Development is carefully managed via urban growth boundaries and watershed protections, focusing density in designated town corridors.
Orange County assesses ad valorem property taxes countywide, with additional municipal rates applied inside Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, and Mebane. Properties in the southern sector are also subject to a dedicated Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools special district tax rate, making total effective property levies among the highest in North Carolina.
The county economy is strongly anchored by higher education, advanced healthcare, and life sciences through UNC Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care. Its proximity to Research Triangle Park, Duke University, and downtown Durham provides an expansive high-income professional and research employment base.
Primary vehicular arteries include Interstate 40, Interstate 85, and US 15-501 connecting Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough to Durham, Raleigh, and Greensboro. Public transit is served by the fare-free Chapel Hill Transit system, GoTriangle regional bus lines, and an Amtrak stop in nearby Durham.
Real property valuations are governed by the Orange County Tax Administration under North Carolina General Statutes on a periodic revaluation cycle (typically every four years). Assessments are benchmarked to 100% fair market value as of the county's official reappraisal effective date.
Key overlapping jurisdictions include the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools special tax district, fire protection service districts in unincorporated zones, and municipal utility service areas managed by the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA).
Property insurance availability remains stable across Orange County, though premiums have experienced moderate upward adjustments tracking statewide coastal-spillover rate filings and localized wind and convective storm underwriting.
- Frankie's of Raleigh4.419.1 mi
- Dave & Buster's Cary426.3 mi
- Happy Feet Planet Apex4.726 mi
- Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park4.120.8 mi
- RushHour Karting4.520.7 mi
- Lenovo Center4.526.6 mi
- North Carolina Museum of Art4.827.2 mi
- North Carolina State Fair4.427.2 mi
- Topgolf3.818.4 mi
- Fenton4.626 mi
- Sarah P. Duke Gardens4.910.1 mi
- Museum of Life and Science4.711.8 mi
- AMC Southpoint 173.912.4 mi
- Frankie's of Raleigh4.419.1 mi
- The Carolina Theatre4.711.7 mi
- North Carolina Museum of Art4.827.2 mi
- Museum of Life and Science4.711.8 mi
- Duke University Chapel4.99.6 mi
- Morehead Planetarium and Science Center4.58.4 mi
- American Tobacco Campus4.711.7 mi
- Sarah P. Duke Gardens4.910.1 mi
- Eno River State Park4.86.4 mi
- North Carolina Botanical Garden4.79.7 mi
- Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area4.72.4 mi
- C. M. Herndon Park4.614.2 mi
- Topgolf3.818.4 mi
- Hillandale Golf Course4.39.7 mi
- Falls Village Golf Club3.418.9 mi
- Golf Galaxy4.317.5 mi
- Brier Creek Country Club4.619.2 mi
- Tanger Outlets Mebane4.49.4 mi
- The Streets at Southpoint4.512.6 mi
- Harris Teeter4.410.4 mi
- Fresh International Market - Raleigh4.419.8 mi
- Publix Super Market at the Marketplace at Ellis Crossing4.415.5 mi
- Raleigh-Durham International Airport4.420.8 mi
Theme parks, venues, golf, airports, museums, water and shopping across the area from Google Maps, ranked by popularity within the radius shown.
The amenity base that shapes daily life and property demand in this county — what residents actually live with, and what the pipeline is adding.
Preserves over 4,000 acres of natural wilderness along the Eno River, offering miles of rugged hiking trails, historic mill sites, and water recreation in northern Orange County.
A colonial-era county seat featuring preserved 18th- and 19th-century architecture, independent dining, artisanal galleries, and the Riverwalk trail along the Eno River.
The historic heart of Chapel Hill, providing diverse dining, entertainment, independent retail, and cultural venues immediately adjacent to the UNC Chapel Hill campus.
A premier native plant conservation garden offering extensive nature trails, educational exhibits, and display gardens managed by UNC Chapel Hill.
Retrieved from Census ACS 5-year data profiles for Orange County, NC (FIPS 37135).
applies when — Applies to parcels where the title holder has created or is subject to recorded easements, restrictions, or conditions.
Imposes binding limitations on the use, development, or maintenance of the parcel as defined in the recorded instrument.
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 39-6.4
A tax lien attaches to all real property, taking priority over all other liens and encumbrances regardless of when they were created.
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 105-355
applies when — Applies to parcels governed by a Homeowners' Association (Chapter 47F) or Condominium Association (Chapter 47C) where assessments remain unpaid.
Associations may file a claim of lien and foreclose in a manner similar to a mortgage under power of sale, or through a civil action.
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47F-3-116 and § 47C-3-116
Allows for non-judicial foreclosure, though it requires a hearing before the Clerk of Superior Court to authorize the sale. Borrowers are entitled to a pre-foreclosure notice at least 45 days prior to the filing of a notice of hearing for primary residences.
N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 45, Article 2A and Article 11
Tax is calculated by multiplying the assessed value of the property by the combined state and local tax rate. The formula is: Tax = (Assessed Value / 100) * Tax Rate. Assessment is based on the true value in money, with counties required to conduct revaluations at least every eight years.
N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 105, Article 12 (2025)
Governance registry — every jurisdiction re-researches on a rolling 90-day cycle. Property reports compose these inherited burdens into a per-parcel ledger with conditional determinations. Informational only — not legal advice.