The typical owner-occupied home in Chapel Hill is worth about $613,700, 2.1 times the North Carolina median of $288,900 and 84% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $7,191 a year in property taxes, about 1.17% of their home's value, higher than the North Carolina rate of 0.66%. The median household earns $85,989 a year, so the median home costs 7.1 times the median income (4.0 times for North Carolina). 47% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 57% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Chapel Hill at a glance
| Chapel Hill | North Carolina | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $613,700 | $288,900 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | $7,191 | $1,896 | $3,119 |
| Property tax as a share of value | 1.17% | 0.66% | 0.94% |
| Median household income | $85,989 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 47% | 67% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 57% | 61% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | $2,912 | $1,631 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 17.9% | 19.4% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | $1,613 | $1,228 | $1,413 |
| Rent as a share of renters' income | 36.0% | 29.5% | 30.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 1988 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 10.1% | 12.5% | 10.1% |
| Population | 61,607 | 10,730,404 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in Chapel Hill
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Chapel Hill home of $613,700 with 20% down costs about $4,157 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $5,179, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.
Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $178,148 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 58% of the median Chapel Hill household income of $85,989; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $296,000.
The median rent here is $1,613 a month, so owning the median home costs about $2,544 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.
| Down payment | $122,740 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $490,960 |
| Principal and interest | $3,303 |
| Property taxes (1.17% a year) | $598 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $256 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $4,157 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
| Down payment | $21,480 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $602,584 |
| Principal and interest | $4,054 |
| Property taxes (1.17% a year) | $598 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $256 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $271 |
| Total per month | $5,179 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
Questions about home buying in Chapel Hill
What is the median home value in Chapel Hill?
About $613,700 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
How much are property taxes in Chapel Hill?
Homeowners pay a median $7,191 a year, which is about 1.17% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.
What income do you need to buy a home in Chapel Hill?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $4,157 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $178,148 a year.
More about Chapel Hill
- Mortgage Refinance in Chapel Hill
- Debt Relief in Chapel Hill
- Home Equity Loans in Chapel Hill
- Guides and quotes for mortgage refinance on our sister site, MortgageRefinance.com
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data