60,998
Population
Sunny Days: 216
48100 Affordability
95100 Schools
44100 Diversity
91100 Safety
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Tar Heel Born. Tar Heel Bred.
The Best Thing About Chapel Hill?
More than just the Tar Heels
The University of North Carolina and the legendary Tar Heels are the two reasons most people know about Chapel Hill, and for good reason. An elite university with a legendary sports program is something any city would be proud of, and Tar Heel pride runs deep. But Chapel Hill is so much more than just the ‘Heels. The economy stretches beyond the university with health, finance and tech being major sectors of employment here. Chapel Hill is beautiful, the housing market is stable, and reasonably priced for all of the opportunities this city has to offer. Low crime rates, high paying jobs, and a foodie scene make Chapel Hill a great place not just for students, but families and young professionals as well.
Review from a local: Overall, it's a pretty good place to live. The library is freakin' amazing. In normal times, there are a fair number of events happening at any given time. And it's 2.5 hrs from the beach and 2.5 hrs from the ocean. Good basketball. The Pig has a fried baloney sandwich that will knock your socks off. You're 20ish minutes from RDU. There are a lot of trails for hiking within an hour's drive.
The Worst Thing About Chapel Hill?
Clash of Ideologies
Being a major academic institution in the south, Chapel Hill has some conflicting characteristics. Conservatives complain CH is too progressive with affluent, close-minded liberals who won’t listen to them. Liberals complain CH is too conservative with too many racist, close-minded conservatives who won’t listen to them. Basically if you aren’t willing to stand in line next to a family wearing “Black Lives Matter” t-shirts OR fill up your gas tank next to a couple wearing MAGA hats, you’ll probably find Chapel Hill frustrating in one way or another.
Local pov on politics of the population in the area: It gets bluer as you go West. Cary is a little redder than most of the Triangle but Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, etc are all pretty blue.It's worth noting that Orange county is less liberal than either Carrboro or Chapel Hill
Lifestyle of Chapel Hill
Apartments near the college can be difficult to get with all of the competition, even if you are a student. Most housing away from campus is single family homes, with most of the buildings built when the city expanded in the late 20th century. Housing prices are generally right around the national average, and the quality public schools around town make Chapel Hill a great place for families. Two common complaints about living here are that drivers are notoriously bad and that parking availability is abysmal outside of residential streets.
Why You Should Move Here Now? -
The Perfect College Town
Let’s end by circling back to the positives of Chapel Hill. It’s a great college town with a variety of work and living options, and a unique atmosphere that provides options for people from all walks of life all for a reasonable price. That isn’t changing anytime soon.
Living in Chapel Hill
Neighborhoods in Chapel Hill
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University City
College Students
University City is the neighborhood that surrounds UNC’s 1,000 acres and where the great majority of students off-campus live. There are three mini neighborhoods within University City that have their own vibe and are right and wrong depending on your preferences. University Place is the most popular part of the neighborhood due to its heavy concentration of restaurants, bars, shopping and entertainment options. The whole area is filled with apartment buildings, and homes for rent for undergrads and graduate students. Pretty much everything is a walk or bike ride from school but there is also a good bus system for getting everyone to classes. While most students are in the city proper some graduate students also end up in neighboring Carrboro, a pretty groovy smaller town that gives them some distance from the madness of campus life.
- University City
- Carrboro
Downtown
Young Professionals
Downtown Chapel Hill is the center of the universe for Young Professionals that move here. There are plenty of apartments for rent as well as condos and small homes if that apartment lifestyle isn’t your thing. More important, Main Street, that runs through the area has over 95 restaurants, bars, cafes and music venues, most independently owned. It’s also where a lot of the startup scene in Chapel Hill happens, so for some being here is not only a walk to play but also a walk to work. Any of the neighborhoods that surround Downtown, including the three Historic districts can also work although most will still walk here to socialize.
- Downtown
- Carrboro
Historic Districts
Families
The Historic Districts of Chapel Hill are beautiful and some families get ahold of one of these magnificent homes and hunker down. You can walk to the Franklin Street shops and restaurants and just luxuriate in the century old vibe. There are nearby frats and sororities though so there is a tradeoff being that close to the University. Newer neighborhoods, like Governor’s Village, Meadowmint and Southern Village are also great options for families. Each of these areas has both great homes, blocks and kid play areas as well as small shopping and restaurant districts. Chapel Hill neighborhoods work hard to recreate the small southern town vibe in their own blocks.
- Historic Districts
- Governor’s Village
- Meadowmint
- Southern Village