Orange County, North Carolina Demographics 2026

Name: Orange County, North Carolina Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Orange County, North Carolina has a population of 149,678, the 21st most populous county in North Carolina. The median household income is $90,089 and the median home value is $459,500. The poverty rate is 12.5%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Orange County Quick Facts

Population 149,678

Median Household Income $90,089

Median Home Value $459,500

Poverty Rate 12.5%

Unemployment Rate 3.6%

Median Age 36.1 years

Homeownership Rate 63.8%

Affordability Ratio 5.1x

Bachelor's Degree+ 61.8%

High School Graduation 93.3%

Cities/Places 3

Population 149,678 21st of 100

Median Income $90,089 24% higher than state

Poverty Rate 12.5%

Unemployment 3.6%

How Orange County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	147,292	149,678	+1.6%
Median household income	$88,553	$90,089	+1.7%
Median home value	$428,500	$459,500	+7.2%

Median Household Income

Orange

$90,089

$72,388

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Orange

$459,500

$288,900

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 14.8%

$25K-$50K 14.5%

$50K-$100K 25.3%

$100K+ 45.3%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

5.8%

$10K-$15K

2.9%

$15K-$20K

3.5%

$20K-$25K

2.7%

$25K-$30K

2.4%

$30K-$35K

2.8%

$35K-$40K

3.3%

$40K-$45K

3.5%

$45K-$50K

2.5%

$50K-$60K

5.5%

$60K-$75K

9.2%

$75K-$100K

10.6%

$100K-$125K

8.9%

$125K-$150K

6.8%

$150K-$200K

9.1%

$200K+

20.5%

Employment

3.6% Unemployment Rate State: 4.7%|National: 5.2%

61.8% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 63.8%

Renter 36.2%

Affordability Index Expensive

5.1x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,496/mo 19.9% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

18.9%

18-34

29.8%

35-54

23.6%

55-74

21.6%

75+

6.2%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 58 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Orange County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Carrboro	21,204	$85,743	12.2%	$539,400
Hillsborough	9,724	$98,163	8.0%	$460,100
Efland	1,611	$65,735	5.1%	$234,600

Explore North Carolina Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Orange County is located in North Carolina with a total population of 149,678. It is the 21st most populous county out of 100 in North Carolina. The county encompasses 3 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Orange County is 36.1 years. This is 8% lower than the state median of 39.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Orange County is $90,089. This is 24% higher than the state median of $72,388. It is also 12% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.5%. This is 4% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.0%. The unemployment rate is 3.6%. This is 23% lower than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $459,500. Housing costs are 59% higher than the state median of $288,900. The home-value-to-income ratio is 5.1x. 63.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 4% lower than the state average of 66.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Orange County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 66.2% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 10.6%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (7.8% vs 3.3%).

Education

61.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Orange County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 73% higher than the state rate of 35.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 93.3%. Notably, 34.6% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Orange County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against North Carolina and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Orange County, North Carolina?

Orange County has a population of 149,678, making it the 21st most populous county in North Carolina.

What is the median income in Orange County?

The median household income in Orange County is $90,089 with a poverty rate of 12.5%.

How many cities are in Orange County, North Carolina?

Orange County contains 3 Census-designated places.