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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.



Chapel Hill, NC Real Estate Market

Source & Methodology

Analytics built by:   Location, Inc.

Raw data sources:   American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Date(s) & Update Frequency:
  • Home Values, Rents: Reflects Q4 2023. Updated quarterly.
  • Setting, Housing Stock, Homeownership: 2022 (latest available). Updated annually.

Methodology:   NeighborhoodScout uses over 600 characteristics to build a neighborhood profile… Read more about Scout's Real Estate Data

Chapel Hill, NC Housing Market Trends

With a population of 62,098, 19,965 total housing units (homes and apartments), and a median house value of $764,248, Chapel Hill house prices are not only among the most expensive in North Carolina, Chapel Hill real estate also is some of the most expensive in all of America.

Single-family detached homes are the single most common housing type in Chapel Hill, accounting for 43.46% of the town's housing units. Other types of housing that are prevalent in Chapel Hill include large apartment complexes or high rise apartments ( 35.18%), row houses and other attached homes ( 12.45%), and a few duplexes, homes converted to apartments or other small apartment buildings ( 8.28%).

People in Chapel Hill primarily live in small (one, two or no bedroom) single-family detached homes. Chapel Hill has a mixture of owner-occupied and renter-occupied housing.

There is a lot of housing in Chapel Hill built from 1970 to 1999 so parts of town may have that "Brady Bunch" look of homes popular in the '70s and early '80s, although some of these houses were built up through the early '90s as well. There is also a lot of housing in Chapel Hill built between 2000 and later ( 29.56%). A lesser amount of the housing stock also hails from between 1940-1969 ( 20.21%). There's also some housing in Chapel Hill built before 1939 ( 3.28%).

Vacant housing appears to be an issue in Chapel Hill. Fully 10.86% of the housing stock is classified as vacant. Left unchecked, vacant Chapel Hill homes and apartments can be a drag on the real estate market, holding Chapel Hill real estate prices below levels they could achieve if vacant housing was absorbed into the market and became occupied. Housing vacancy rates are a useful measure to consider, along with other things, if you are a home buyer or a real estate investor.

Chapel Hill Home Appreciation Rates

Real estate appreciation rates in Chapel Hill's have tracked to near the national average over the last then years, with the annual appreciation rate averaging 5.67% during the period.

Over the last year, Chapel Hill appreciation rates have trailed the rest of the nation. In the last twelve months, Chapel Hill's appreciation rate has been 2.95%, which is lower than appreciation rates in most communities in America. In the latest quarter, NeighborhoodScout's data show that house appreciation rates in Chapel Hill were at -0.57%, which equates to an annual appreciation rate of -2.24%.

Relative to North Carolina, our data show that Chapel Hill's latest annual appreciation rate is lower than 90% of the other cities and towns in North Carolina.

One very important thing to keep in mind is that these are average appreciation rates for the town. Individual neighborhoods within Chapel Hill differ in their investment potential, sometimes by a great deal. Fortunately, you can use NeighborhoodScout to pinpoint the exact neighborhoods in Chapel Hill - or in any city or town - that have the best track record of real estate appreciation, by the latest quarter, the last year, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, or even since 2000, to assist you in making the best Chapel Hill real estate investment or home purchase decisions.

Average Home Values

Median Home Value

$764,248

Chapel Hill, NC Home Prices
> $1,317,000
$988,001 - $1,317,000
$659,001 - $988,000
$527,001 - $659,000
$395,001 - $527,000
$263,001 - $395,000
$132,001 - $263,000
$66,001 - $132,000
$0 - $66,000
9.8%
9.8%
11.6%
11.6%
31.1%
31.1%
15.3%
15.3%
13.9%
13.9%
10.6%
10.6%
6.1%
6.1%
0.9%
0.9%
0.8%
0.8%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes
Very High

for North carolina

Very High

for nation

Number of Homes And Apartments:

19,965

Chapel Hill Appreciation Rates

Rent & Ownership

Average Market Rent:

$2,552 / per month

Homeownership Rate

Owners
Renters
40.7%
40.7%
59.3%
59.3%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Vacancy Rate

Vacant
Occupied
10.9%
10.9%
89.1%
89.1%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Housing Market Details

Age of Homes

2000 or Newer
1970 - 1999
1940 - 1969
1939 or Older
29.6%
29.6%
47.0%
47.0%
20.2%
20.2%
3.3%
3.3%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Types of Homes

Single-Family
Townhomes
Small Apt. Buildings
Apt. Complexes
Mobile Homes
Other
43.5%
43.5%
12.5%
12.5%
8.3%
8.3%
35.2%
35.2%
0.6%
0.6%
0.0%
0.0%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Home Size

No Bedroom
1 Bedroom
2 Bedrooms
3 Bedrooms
4 Bedrooms
5 or more bedrooms
4.2%
4.2%
12.1%
12.1%
31.9%
31.9%
23.5%
23.5%
19.3%
19.3%
8.9%
8.9%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes