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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Orange County

North Carolina · 148,696 residents · 398 sq mi
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The short version

Orange County is a county of 148,696 people in North Carolina. This is an unusually credentialed place: 61% of adults have a four-year degree. That is roughly 32% ahead of the North Carolina median. This skews young, with a median age of 35.1. 30,469 more people live here than in 2000. 79% were living in the same home a year earlier.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 35.1
US median: 38.8
More educated
61% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 37%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
148,696
+26%since 2000
from 118,227 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
35.1
+15%since 2000
from 30.4 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
398 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
88K105K122K139K155K19902000201020202024Orange County
2024150K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 54.2%(6,232)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.5%(8,200)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.2%(9,173)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 199.5%(14,087)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2412%(17,828)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.5%(18,626)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4411.6%(17,287)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5411.9%(17,736)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6411.6%(17,316)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 749.5%(14,092)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844%(6,014)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.4%(2,105)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$74,803
+17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,372 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$42,872
+72%since 2000
from $24,873 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
49.9%
+13.5 ptssince 2009
from 36.4% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
12.4%
−1.7 ptssince 2000
from 14.1% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information7.6%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade5.4%
US avg: 10%
Other services4.9%
US avg: 6.6%
Wholesale trade4.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration2.7%
US avg: 4.7%
Arts, entertainment, food1.9%
US avg: 2%
Finance & insurance1.9%
US avg: 5.5%
Transportation & warehousing1.6%
US avg: 2.5%
Professional, scientific, technical1.2%
US avg: 4.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.7%
US avg: 1.7%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.8%
Construction0.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$331,800
+37%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $161,600 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,136
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $684 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
59.2%
+1.6 ptssince 2000
from 57.6% in 2000
40.8% rent
Persons per household
2.52 people
+9%since 2009
from 2.31 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
4.4
−8%since 2009
from 4.8 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic64.9%(96,537)
Black10.5%(15,571)
Hispanic / Latino10.6%(15,812)
Asian8.5%(12,615)
Other3.5%(5,232)
Segregation Score
22
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
Mexican3.9%(5,722)
Central American1.7%(2,508)
South American0.9%(1,377)
Puerto Rican0.7%(976)
Honduran0.6%(834)
Guatemalan0.5%(688)
Salvadoran0.5%(680)
Cuban0.4%(563)
Argentine0.3%(417)
Colombian0.2%(321)
Chilean0.2%(229)
Spaniard0.1%(213)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.1%(193)
Panamanian0.1%(179)
Costa Rican0.1%(92)
Venezuelan0.1%(74)
Dominican0%(60)
Bolivian0%(38)
Uruguayan0%(33)
Asian origin
Chinese3.2%(4,741)
Asian Indian1.8%(2,621)
Korean0.9%(1,245)
Filipino0.3%(506)
Burmese0.2%(322)
Japanese0.2%(308)
Vietnamese0.2%(304)
Taiwanese0.2%(279)
Hmong0.1%(198)
Pakistani0.1%(182)
Sri Lankan0.1%(84)
Thai0%(66)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Mongolian0%(46)
Cambodian0%(31)
Nepalese0%(22)
Laotian0%(13)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(39)
Ancestry
English13.2%(19,327)
German12.5%(18,345)
Irish10.7%(15,715)
Italian4.4%(6,403)
American4.2%(6,124)
Scottish3.4%(4,984)
Scotch-Irish3.2%(4,730)
Polish2.5%(3,620)
French2.1%(3,008)
British1.3%(1,927)
Russian1.2%(1,810)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish1.2%(1,726)
Welsh1%(1,524)
Norwegian1%(1,418)
Dutch0.9%(1,335)
Hungarian0.5%(765)
West Indian0.5%(669)
Czech0.4%(577)
Swiss0.4%(575)
Ukrainian0.4%(570)
Iranian0.4%(514)
Danish0.3%(508)
Canadian0.3%(438)
Slovak0.3%(403)
Austrian0.3%(387)
Lithuanian0.2%(358)
Turkish0.2%(314)
Greek0.2%(301)
Ethiopian0.2%(287)
Croatian0.2%(285)
Jamaican0.2%(285)
Lebanese0.2%(267)
Portuguese0.2%(248)
Brazilian0.1%(200)
Romanian0.1%(187)
Latvian0.1%(178)
Slovene0.1%(157)
Belgian0.1%(152)
Arab0.1%(139)
Kenyan0.1%(120)
Armenian0.1%(116)
Finnish0.1%(110)
Egyptian0.1%(95)
Nigerian0.1%(90)
Iraqi0.1%(82)
Israeli0%(59)
Moroccan0%(58)
Serbian0%(53)
Syrian0%(45)
Ghanaian0%(24)
Bulgarian0%(19)
Haitian0%(16)
Guyanese0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
60.8%
+9.4 ptssince 2000
from 51.5% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
93.0%
+5.4 ptssince 2000
from 87.6% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
34.8%
+7.7 ptssince 2000
from 27.1% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.9 min
+73%since 2000
from 13.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
64.8%
−4.5 ptssince 2009
from 69.3% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
4.8%
−2.7 ptssince 2009
from 7.4% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.0%
−2.3 ptssince 2011
from 6.4% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
62.3%
−3.0 ptssince 2011
from 65.3% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
74.2%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
57.6%
+6.8 ptssince 2009
from 50.8% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
47.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 47.4% in 2009
Female
52.4%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 52.6% in 2009
Foreign born
12.7%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 11.5% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
6.7%
−5.1 ptssince 2013
from 11.8% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
95.0%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
78.9%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
6.7%
−5.1 ptssince 2013
from 11.8% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
65.4%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
17.9%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
14.7%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
9.1%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
1.5%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
81.4%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
22.9%
US average: 35.2%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)21.6%(1,201)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)22.2%(1,234)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era35.3%(1,961)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War5.2%(291)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II2.1%(119)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 5,553 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

Places similar to Orange County

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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+10%
Home value$389,400+17%
Population347,240+128%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ORANGE COUNTY VS
Alamance County
Income$65,651−12%
Home value$241,500−27%
Population186,177+22%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ORANGE COUNTY VS
Person County
Income$63,300−15%
Home value$213,900−36%
Population40,636−73%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ORANGE COUNTY VS
Chatham County
Income$94,317+26%
Home value$446,200+34%
Population85,111−44%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Orange County, North Carolina?

Orange County, North Carolina has about 148,696 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Orange County, North Carolina earns about $74,803 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 $331,800, and the typical rent is about $1,136 a month.

How educated are people in Orange County, North Carolina?

About 60.8% 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 12.4% 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 54,845 residents, a change of about 58 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →