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COUNTY

Chatham County

North Carolina · 85,111 residents (2025 est.) · 681.481 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#83Most work-from-homeof 3,14422.5%#110Most educatedof 3,14448.9%#150Fastest growingof 3,135+11.6%
The short version

Chatham County is wealthier than most US places, with a median household income of $94,317. The county has grown rapidly, with population up 62% since 2000. 49% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median home value has more than tripled since 2000, reaching $446,200. With a median age of 47.6, the population is older than the US median of 38.9. It ranks in the top 5% of US counties for household income.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 47.6
US median: 38.9
More educated
49% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 116%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
80,151
+62%since 2000
from 49,329 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
118 / sq mi
+30%since 2009
from 90 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
47.6
+23%since 2000
from 38.8 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:85,111 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
35K47K59K72K84K1990201020202024Chatham County
202480K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.5%(3,602)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95%(4,007)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.2%(4,946)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.7%(4,533)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 244.6%(3,716)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 349.1%(7,264)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.9%(9,513)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.9%(10,363)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6415%(12,016)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7414%(11,239)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 848.6%(6,879)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.6%(2,073)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$94,317
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,851 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$59,363
+154%since 2000
from $23,355 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
57.7%
+23.0 ptssince 2009
from 34.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
11.0%
+1.3 ptssince 2000
from 9.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.493
+7%since 2010
from 0.459 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade11.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Information9.3%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade8%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services6.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration4.2%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance2.5%
US avg: 5.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.5%
US avg: 2.2%
Construction1.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Professional, scientific, technical1.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Education & health services1%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$446,200
+116%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $113,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,180
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $579 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
80.6%
+3.4 ptssince 2000
from 77.2% in 2000
19.4% rent
Vacancy rate
8.1%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
19.1%
−5.4 ptssince 2009
from 24.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
41.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 42.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.7
+42%since 2009
from 3.3 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
92
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Chatham County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic71.6%(35,322)
Black16.9%(8,355)
Hispanic / Latino9.6%(4,743)
Asian0.6%(286)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic69.5%(55,672)
Black10%(7,977)
Hispanic / Latino13.6%(10,930)
Asian2.2%(1,791)
Other4.7%(3,781)
Diversity Score
61
+6%since 2009
from 58 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
35
+2%since 2020
from 34 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican6.7%(5,358)
Central American3.6%(2,922)
Guatemalan1.8%(1,441)
Salvadoran0.9%(745)
Honduran0.8%(620)
Colombian0.7%(587)
Puerto Rican0.7%(580)
Cuban0.3%(267)
Argentine0.2%(196)
Dominican0.2%(180)
Venezuelan0.2%(143)
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data
Spaniard0.2%(139)
Nicaraguan0.1%(64)
Panamanian0.1%(52)
Chilean0%(38)
Peruvian0%(10)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.1%(902)
Chinese0.6%(447)
Japanese0.2%(172)
Filipino0.1%(104)
Korean0.1%(69)
Thai0%(14)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(58)
Ancestry
English17%(13,594)
German12.5%(9,991)
Irish11.2%(8,979)
American5.6%(4,523)
Italian4.5%(3,607)
Scottish2.8%(2,238)
Polish2%(1,586)
French1.6%(1,285)
Scotch-Irish1.6%(1,278)
Swedish1.4%(1,091)
Dutch1.1%(865)
Russian0.6%(517)
+ 39 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.6%(497)
British0.6%(474)
Norwegian0.5%(414)
Hungarian0.5%(397)
Czech0.3%(260)
Danish0.3%(245)
Ukrainian0.3%(237)
Romanian0.3%(207)
Swiss0.2%(193)
Canadian0.2%(181)
Austrian0.2%(176)
Greek0.2%(148)
Arab0.2%(147)
Slovak0.2%(123)
West Indian0.1%(112)
Lebanese0.1%(105)
Belgian0.1%(104)
Portuguese0.1%(86)
Lithuanian0.1%(79)
Brazilian0.1%(74)
Jamaican0.1%(59)
Croatian0.1%(57)
Finnish0.1%(57)
Serbian0.1%(56)
Israeli0.1%(50)
Egyptian0.1%(42)
Iranian0%(38)
Kenyan0%(36)
Haitian0%(32)
Slovene0%(29)
Latvian0%(23)
Turkish0%(22)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Mexican population · Largest American population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
48.9%
+21.4 ptssince 2000
from 27.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
90.9%
+13.0 ptssince 2000
from 77.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
23.2%
+11.6 ptssince 2000
from 11.6% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
28.4 min
+48%since 2000
from 19.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
68.0%
−8.2 ptssince 2009
from 76.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.2%
−7.6 ptssince 2009
from 13.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.3%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
22.5%
+16.9 ptssince 2009
from 5.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.5%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
2.6%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
2.9%
−4.9 ptssince 2011
from 7.9% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
58.6%
−4.9 ptssince 2011
from 63.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
15.9%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 15.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
51.4%
−12.5 ptssince 2009
from 63.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.3%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Female
51.7%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Foreign born
10.4%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 11.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.2%
−41.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
11.3%
+0.2 ptssince 2012
from 11.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
9.4%
−76.0 ptssince 2013
from 85.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
89.1%
+12.9 ptssince 2017
from 76.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
84.9%
−1.1 ptssince 2016
from 86.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
11.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2016
from 11.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married26.3%(8,525)
Married63.5%(20,588)
Widowed2.9%(937)
Divorced7.3%(2,373)
Women 15+
Never married23.3%(8,194)
Married56.8%(19,969)
Widowed8.6%(3,016)
Divorced11.4%(3,994)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
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Head to head

Compare Chatham County to nearby counties

CHATHAM COUNTY VS
Lee County
Income$65,387−31%
Home value$240,200−46%
Population70,258−17%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHATHAM COUNTY VS
Alamance County
Income$65,651−30%
Home value$241,500−46%
Population186,177+119%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHATHAM COUNTY VS
Orange County
Income$90,089−4%
Home value$459,500+3%
Population152,498+79%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHATHAM COUNTY VS
Moore County
Income$86,080−9%
Home value$351,400−21%
Population110,619+30%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Chatham County, North Carolina?

Chatham County, North Carolina has about 80,151 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Chatham County, North Carolina?

The typical household in Chatham County, North Carolina earns about $94,317 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Chatham County, North Carolina expensive?

In Chatham County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $446,200, and the typical rent is about $1,180 a month.

How educated are people in Chatham County, North Carolina?

About 48.9% of adults age 25 and over in Chatham County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Chatham County, North Carolina?

About 11.0% of people in Chatham County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Chatham County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Chatham County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 41,392 residents, a change of about 107 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

19 census tracts
Census Tract 201.05Census Tract 204.01Census Tract 201.04Census Tract 201.03Census Tract 207.03Census Tract 207.02Census Tract 204.02Census Tract 206Census Tract 208.01Census Tract 202.02Census Tract 205Census Tract 203Census Tract 202.01Census Tract 207.04Census Tract 201.07Census Tract 208.03Census Tract 202.03Census Tract 208.02Census Tract 201.08
11 ZIP codes
ZIP 27517ZIP 27312ZIP 27523ZIP 27344ZIP 27562ZIP 27207ZIP 27559ZIP 27208ZIP 27252ZIP 27256ZIP 27213
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Rankings
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Chatham County, North Carolina: demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy