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COUNTY

Orange County

North Carolina · 152,498 residents (2025 est.) · 397.538 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#19Most educatedof 3,14461.8%#33Most work-from-homeof 3,14426.8%
The short version

Orange County has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $90,089. Population has grown 27% since 2000. 62% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 36%. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $459,500. It ranks in the top 5% of US counties for household income.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 36.1
US median: 38.9
More educated
62% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 56%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
149,678
+27%since 2000
from 118,227 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
377 / sq mi
+20%since 2009
from 313 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
36.1
+19%since 2000
from 30.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:152,498 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
88K105K122K139K155K1990201020202024Orange County
2024150K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.1%(6,101)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.1%(7,612)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.8%(8,701)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 1910.6%(15,847)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2411.3%(16,984)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.7%(17,546)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.4%(17,073)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.2%(18,231)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.7%(17,486)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.9%(14,848)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.9%(7,297)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.3%(1,952)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$90,089
+17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,372 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$52,900
+113%since 2000
from $24,873 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
55.9%
+19.5 ptssince 2009
from 36.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
12.5%
−1.7 ptssince 2000
from 14.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.514
−1%since 2010
from 0.521 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information8.3%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade5.5%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade5.1%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services4.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration3.1%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance2.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.1%
US avg: 5.1%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.1%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$459,500
+56%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $161,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,496
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $684 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
63.8%
+6.2 ptssince 2000
from 57.6% in 2000
36.2% rent
Vacancy rate
8.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 8.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
18.8%
−6.0 ptssince 2009
from 24.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
54.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 54.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.1
+6%since 2009
from 4.8 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
73
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Orange County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic75.8%(89,656)
Black13.7%(16,175)
Hispanic / Latino4.5%(5,273)
Asian4.1%(4,840)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic66.2%(99,091)
Black10.1%(15,117)
Hispanic / Latino10.6%(15,914)
Asian7.8%(11,717)
Other5.2%(7,839)
Diversity Score
66
+20%since 2009
from 55 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
21
−5%since 2020
from 22 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
Mexican5.2%(7,713)
Central American1.8%(2,729)
South American1.3%(2,004)
Puerto Rican0.7%(1,114)
Guatemalan0.6%(845)
Honduran0.6%(830)
Salvadoran0.4%(589)
Colombian0.4%(568)
Spaniard0.3%(493)
Cuban0.3%(450)
Venezuelan0.3%(412)
Argentine0.3%(384)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Nicaraguan0.2%(334)
Chilean0.1%(178)
Ecuadorian0.1%(175)
Peruvian0.1%(155)
Dominican0.1%(118)
Costa Rican0.1%(110)
Bolivian0%(36)
Uruguayan0%(22)
Asian origin
Chinese2.4%(3,531)
Asian Indian2%(2,988)
Korean0.8%(1,223)
Burmese0.5%(677)
Filipino0.4%(550)
Japanese0.3%(518)
Vietnamese0.3%(513)
Taiwanese0.2%(342)
Pakistani0.1%(122)
Cambodian0.1%(119)
Malaysian0%(31)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0%(31)
Hmong0%(13)
Laotian0%(9)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(101)
Chamorro0%(38)
Guamanian0%(12)
Ancestry
English15.6%(23,277)
German11.1%(16,558)
Irish10%(14,960)
Italian4.8%(7,111)
American4%(6,020)
Scottish3.8%(5,735)
Polish2.6%(3,928)
Scotch-Irish2.5%(3,786)
French1.9%(2,910)
Dutch1.2%(1,828)
Welsh1.1%(1,675)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
Russian1.1%(1,592)
Norwegian1%(1,531)
Swedish0.9%(1,310)
British0.8%(1,271)
Arab0.8%(1,239)
Hungarian0.5%(802)
Ukrainian0.5%(767)
West Indian0.4%(636)
Austrian0.4%(632)
Greek0.4%(629)
Iranian0.4%(627)
Danish0.4%(573)
Swiss0.3%(453)
Ghanaian0.3%(403)
Portuguese0.3%(384)
Lebanese0.2%(357)
Lithuanian0.2%(348)
Turkish0.2%(347)
Czech0.2%(338)
Serbian0.2%(334)
Slovak0.2%(283)
Belgian0.2%(282)
Romanian0.2%(279)
Jamaican0.2%(273)
Nigerian0.2%(242)
Finnish0.2%(230)
Egyptian0.1%(224)
Canadian0.1%(192)
Croatian0.1%(153)
Slovene0.1%(113)
Kenyan0.1%(111)
Brazilian0.1%(106)
Australian0.1%(104)
Haitian0.1%(89)
Latvian0.1%(83)
Ethiopian0.1%(80)
Syrian0%(72)
Armenian0%(50)
Bulgarian0%(26)
Israeli0%(23)
Barbadian0%(18)
Iraqi0%(6)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Mexican population · Largest Italian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
61.8%
+10.3 ptssince 2000
from 51.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
93.4%
+5.7 ptssince 2000
from 87.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
34.6%
+7.4 ptssince 2000
from 27.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.6 min
+70%since 2000
from 13.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
55.3%
−14.0 ptssince 2009
from 69.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.2%
−4.3 ptssince 2009
from 10.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
4.2%
−2.3 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
26.8%
+21.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.4%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 5.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.9%
−2.5 ptssince 2009
from 7.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.6%
−2.7 ptssince 2011
from 6.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
61.8%
−3.5 ptssince 2011
from 65.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
19.2%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 19.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
60.7%
−14.1 ptssince 2009
from 74.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
47.8%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 47.4% in 2009
Female
52.2%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 52.6% in 2009
Foreign born
12.9%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 11.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.7%
−41.8 ptssince 2009
from 46.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.1%
+1.0 ptssince 2012
from 8.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.5%
−81.7 ptssince 2013
from 88.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.0%
+7.0 ptssince 2017
from 87.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
83.0%
−0.3 ptssince 2016
from 83.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
8.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2016
from 7.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married42.6%(25,633)
Married48.5%(29,181)
Widowed2.2%(1,324)
Divorced6.7%(4,035)
Women 15+
Never married41%(27,532)
Married44.9%(30,143)
Widowed6%(4,009)
Divorced8.1%(5,407)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

Places similar to Orange County

Johnson County
Pop 174,262
Hampshire County
Pop 164,065
Ascension Parish
Pop 135,105
Douglas County
Pop 154,293
Places similar to Orange County
Head to head

Compare Orange County to nearby counties

ORANGE COUNTY VS
Durham County
Income$82,316−9%
Home value$389,400−15%
Population347,240+128%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ORANGE COUNTY VS
Alamance County
Income$65,651−27%
Home value$241,500−47%
Population186,177+22%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ORANGE COUNTY VS
Person County
Income$63,300−30%
Home value$213,900−53%
Population40,636−73%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ORANGE COUNTY VS
Chatham County
Income$94,317+5%
Home value$446,200−3%
Population85,111−44%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Orange County, North Carolina?

Orange County, North Carolina has about 149,678 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Orange County, North Carolina earns about $90,089 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Orange County, North Carolina expensive?

In Orange County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $459,500, and the typical rent is about $1,496 a month.

How educated are people in Orange County, North Carolina?

About 61.8% of adults age 25 and over in Orange County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 12.5% of people in Orange County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Orange County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Orange County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 55,827 residents, a change of about 59 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

42 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 116.02Census Tract 109.02Census Tract 112.08Census Tract 117Census Tract 110.01Census Tract 111.07Census Tract 122.02Census Tract 110.02Census Tract 112.07Census Tract 119.02Census Tract 114Census Tract 108.02Census Tract 109.04Census Tract 107.05Census Tract 121.01Census Tract 122.01Census Tract 111.05Census Tract 112.04Census Tract 111.03Census Tract 107.06
7 ZIP codes
ZIP 27516ZIP 27514ZIP 27278ZIP 27510ZIP 27243ZIP 27231ZIP 27599
Up the hierarchy
All counties in North Carolina
Rankings
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →