Orange County has a higher standard of living and lower housing affordability than its NC peer counties

GOVERNMENT

By Adam Powell
Correspondent

The North Carolina Budget and Tax Center recently released its economic snapshot for each of the state’s 100 counties. The Orange County snapshot reveals many fascinating details about the area’s economic health, which includes Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough, among other communities, as well as areas of potential growth.

According to the data, Orange County currently has a population of approximately 154,000 residents, which marks an 11 percent increase since 2015, according to the documentation. That is a slight decrease compared to the overall growth of North Carolina, which experienced a population growth of 11 percent between 2015 and 2025.

Although Orange County is doing well in providing basic needs to its residents, only 7% of county residents do not have health insurance. At the same time, there is at least one mental health provider for every 130 residents, a significantly lower rate than much of the rest of North Carolina, who have 320 residents per mental health provider. However, the numbers indicate concerns regarding housing affordability, which is nothing new to county and municipal leaders, who have been striving to increase missing middle housing and add more affordable rental options for area residents over the past few years.

According to the NC Budget and Tax Center’s data, approximately 55% of all residents in Orange County are facing rental rates that are unaffordable for them, compared to 48% across the whole state. The percentage of Orange County residents paying 50% or more of their household income recently is just under one-third – 32% – compared to approximately 23% statewide. Fair market monthly rent for a two-bedroom home in Orange County is roughly $1,870 – well over $400 per month above the approximately $1,410 average monthly rent for similar homes across North Carolina.

According to the data, workers in Orange County earning minimum wage have to work approximately one-fourth more hours than their statewide peers to afford housing. It takes approximately 199 hours per week for residents in Orange County making minimum wage to afford a two-bedroom home at fair market rent, compared to approximately 150 hours per week for residents across North Carolina.

The good news for Orange County is that while rents are unaffordable for more than half its renting population, job growth has remained relatively strong. There are three candidates for every job opening in Orange County, and the number of unemployed residents actively seeking work increased by a modest 3% from December 2023 to December 2024. Approximately 2,300 of the 178,000 North Carolina residents who are unemployed and actively seeking work are based in Orange County.

Orange County’s unemployment rate as of December 2024 stood at approximately 2.7% of residents—lower than the 3.4% unemployment rate statewide. The county’s employed residents are approximately 81,600 of the more than 5 million employed residents statewide.

Despite relative job stability, Orange County has some noticeable income disparities compared to other parts of North Carolina. 24% of residents in Orange County are considered low income—an income of approximately $62,400 for a household of four people—while the wealthiest 5% of households make an average of 39 times more annually than the poorest 20% of households. The $62,500 figure is based on available income data over the past year for households, marking an amount at or below 200% of the poverty level.

Approximately 12% of Orange County’s residents live at or below the poverty level, compared to 13% across North Carolina. The percentage of children living in poverty in Orange County stands at 11%, compared to 18% across the entire state.

It’s no secret to those who live in and around Orange County that it is a highly educated area. The data shows that approximately 89% of Orange County’s residents hold at least a high school diploma, compared to 87% statewide. In addition, Orange County’s percentage of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher stands at approximately 62%, compared to 35% across the entire state of North Carolina.

Approximately 59% of adult males have a college degree – compared to just 33% percent statewide – while nearly two-thirds of adult women- 64% – have college degrees compared to 36 percent of adult women statewide.

Along with its employment rates and rates of college-educated adults, Orange County is also faring better on average than its peer counties across North Carolina in terms of income living standard. The average annual income in Orange County is approximately $102,400 for a family with at least one adult and two children, compared to $87,700 across the entire state. Median worker earnings in Orange County from 2019 to 2023 are approximately $57,400 compared to the average of $47,200 statewide. Furthermore, Orange County’s median household income of roughly $88,600 is nearly $20,000 annually more than the statewide average of $69,900.

Despite the housing affordability concerns in Orange County, its residents are better insured, on average, than their peers around the state. Approximately 7% of all Orange County residents are uninsured, compared to 10% statewide. Approximately 13% of Orange County residents are enrolled in Medicaid – less than half the statewide average of 28%. The percentage of Orange County residents receiving SNAP benefits – approximately 6% – is also less than half the statewide average of 13%.

Orange County residents also have higher life expectancy outcomes than others across North Carolina, with the average Orange County resident expected to live to age 82, compared to an average of 77 across the state. African-American residents have an average life expectancy of 74 years, compared to 73 years across North Carolina, while caucasian residents have an average life expectancy in Orange County of 82 years, compared to 77 years statewide.

For more information about North Carolina’s and Orange County’s budget snapshots, residents can contact the NC Budget and Tax Center at info@ncbudget.org.

Adam Powell has been a correspondent for The Local Reporter since 2023. A 2001 graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, Powell has served as managing editor of multiple local publications, including the News of Orange County, the Mebane Enterprise, the Caswell Messenger, and the ACC Sports Journal. Powell has won more than 20 North Carolina Press Association Awards throughout his journalism career for Excellence in Education Reporting, Excellence in Sports Columns and Features, and Excellence in Video Production. He has also been recognized by the North Carolina School Public Relations Association (NCSPRA) for Excellence in Education Writing and for his newsletters representing Rockingham County Schools and the North Carolina Cyber Academy. The author of four books. Adam currently resides in Mebane with his wife Julie and children Colt and Jenna. This reporter can be reached at:Information@TheLocal Reporter.press