Housing data for Hillsborough, NC
Hillsborough, NC has an estimated 9,724 residents and 4,522 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a town in Orange County.
36.2% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,368 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+36.7%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 9,724 (±44)
- Housing units
- 4,522 (±313)
- Households that rent
- 36.2%
- Median gross rent
- $1,368
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +36.7%
What stands out in Hillsborough
Commuting by public transportation: 0.8% (±0.9 points) in Hillsborough, lower than in Orange County (4.2%).
Median real estate taxes: $4,759 (±$383) in Hillsborough, higher than in Orange County ($4,162).
Housing in Hillsborough at a glance
- Median rent: $1,368 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,255 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 52.8% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 36.2% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $98,163 median household income
- Home values: $460,100 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,067 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $4,759 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 18.9% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 67.7% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 27.1% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 3.5% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 50.4% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 21.7 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 204 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +36.7% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 30.5% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.9% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Hillsborough against Orange County, its state and the nation
| Hillsborough | Orange County | North Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 9,724 (±44) | 149,678 (exact) | 10,730,404 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 4,522 (±313) | 62,858 (±144) | 4,895,668 (±642) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 36.2% (±6.2 points) | 36.2% (±1.3 points) | 33.4% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,368 (±$209) | $1,496 (±$41) | $1,228 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $98,163 (±$25,635) | $90,089 (±$2,394) | $72,388 (±$324) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $460,100 (±$32,156) | $459,500 (±$9,735) | $288,900 (±$1,086) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $4,759 (±$383) | $4,162 (±$147) | $1,896 (±$8) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 27.1% (±6.7 points) | 31.5% (±1.7 points) | 33.9% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 21.7 minutes (±1.9) | 23.6 minutes (±0.8) | 25.1 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 97.9% (±1.8 points) | 94.0% (±0.8 points) | 90.1% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 42.5 years (±2.5) | 36.1 years (±0.2) | 39.1 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Hillsborough covers 5.8 square miles of land, about 1,687 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Hillsborough has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 7,115 (±24) | 9,724 (±44) | +36.7% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 3,049 (±288) | 4,522 (±313) | +48.3% | Measurable increase |
| Median gross rent | $1,025 (±$69) | $1,368 (±$209) | +33.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $261,200 (±$13,757) | $460,100 (±$32,156) | +76.1% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $64,598 (±$14,773) | $98,163 (±$25,635) | +52.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,579 (±$109) | $2,067 (±$164) | +30.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $3,113 (±$431) | $4,759 (±$383) | +52.9% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 34.7% (±5.8 points) | 36.2% (±6.2 points) | +1.5 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 6.9% (±8.0 points) | 3.5% (±4.3 points) | −3.4 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Hillsborough
In 2025, the Hillsborough Police Department reported 204 violent and 2,755 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Places near Hillsborough
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Efland | 4.1 mi | — | $234,600 | 11.8% |
| Mebane | 10.0 mi | $1,283 | $338,900 | 39.5% |
| Carrboro | 10 mi | $1,470 | $539,400 | 56.5% |
| Chapel Hill | 11 mi | $1,613 | $613,700 | 52.6% |
| Woodlawn | 11 mi | $841 | $327,600 | 19.9% |
| Durham | 13 mi | $1,508 | $392,800 | 47.7% |
| Green Level | 14 mi | $891 | $168,400 | 32.9% |
| Haw River | 15 mi | $1,258 | $162,400 | 29.2% |
Places in North Carolina most like Hillsborough
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Pines | $1,354 | $451,100 | $88,535 | 43.4% |
| Kitty Hawk | $1,309 | $535,000 | $94,450 | 27.4% |
| Kill Devil Hills | $1,626 | $442,200 | $89,773 | 26.1% |
| Clemmons | $1,269 | $335,800 | $87,655 | 24.3% |
| Youngsville | $1,239 | $434,100 | $86,528 | 37.4% |
| Belmont | $1,365 | $395,000 | $94,883 | 29.3% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across North Carolina.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Hillsborough, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,498 | $1,554 | $1,745 | $2,161 | $2,486 |
HUD income limits for Hillsborough, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $26,750 | $44,500 | $71,200 |
| 2 people | $30,550 | $50,850 | $81,400 |
| 3 people | $34,350 | $57,200 | $91,550 |
| 4 people | $38,150 | $63,550 | $101,700 |
| 5 people | $41,250 | $68,650 | $109,850 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $73,750 | $118,000 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $78,850 | $126,150 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $83,900 | $134,250 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $129,900.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Hillsborough
What is the average rent in Hillsborough, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Hillsborough is $1,368 (±$209) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
Are renters in Hillsborough rent-burdened?
52.8% of renting households in Hillsborough pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Hillsborough?
Hillsborough has an estimated 1,502 (±314) renting households, 36.2% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Hillsborough?
The median household income in Hillsborough is $98,163 (±$25,635) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Hillsborough, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $460,100 (±$32,156) for owner-occupied homes in Hillsborough (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Hillsborough?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Hillsborough, NC is $2,067 (±$164) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
Is Hillsborough growing?
In Hillsborough, the number of residents went from 7,115 in 2015–2019 to 9,724 in 2020–2024 (+36.7%), a measurable increase.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Hillsborough town, North Carolina
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Hillsborough town, North Carolina
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Hillsborough town, North Carolina
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Hillsborough town, North Carolina
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Hillsborough town, North Carolina
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Hillsborough town, North Carolina
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Hillsborough town, North Carolina
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Hillsborough Police Department (ORI NC0680200)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Hillsborough town, North Carolina (place:31620, in state:37).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .