What city is 27516 in?

27516 is a Chapel Hill, NC mailing address. By land area, 6% lies inside Chapel Hill, 4% lies inside Carrboro and 2% lies inside Briar Chapel; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.

What is the population of 27516?

About 47,358 people (±1,669), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 45,841.

What is the median household income in 27516?

$106,353 (±$7,545), compared with $72,388 for North Carolina as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.

How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 27516?

31 USPS carrier routes with 18,931 residential and 579 business mailboxes (19,512 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.

What ZIP codes are near 27516?

The closest, measured center to center: 27510 (4.1 mi, Carrboro), 27599 (5.8 mi, Chapel Hill), 27514 (7.1 mi, Chapel Hill), 27517 (8.2 mi, Chapel Hill), 27340 (9.1 mi, Saxapahaw) and 27312 (10.6 mi, Pittsboro).

27516 ZIP Code, Chapel Hill, NC

Q: What county is 27516 in?

27516 is mostly in Orange County (83% of its land), with smaller parts in Chatham County.

27516 is a ZIP code in Chapel Hill, North Carolina — mostly in Orange County (83% of its land), with smaller parts in Chatham County. It covers 93 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 27510, 27599 and 27514. 47,358 people live here in 17,503 households, more than in 9 of every 10 North Carolina ZIP codes. With about 507 people per square mile it is lightly settled, and most homes are owner-occupied (71%). Median household income is $106,353, above the North Carolina median of $72,388.

Quick facts

Mailing city: Chapel Hill, NC
County: Orange County
Land area: 93 sq mi
Population: 47,358
Median household income: $106,353
Carrier routes: 31 (18,931 homes)

Key figures

Measure	Value
Residents	47,358
Households	17,503
Median household income	$106,353
Income per person	$58,731
Median age	36.9
Homeowners	70.7%
Median home value	$567,200
Median rent	$1,564
Bachelor's degree or higher	72.8%
Average commute (minutes)	24.1
Households with kids under 18	32.9%
Moved in the past year	16.5%
Below the poverty line	15.8%
Broadband internet	97.3%
Speak a non-English language at home	15.7%

Household income

% of households	Value
<$10K	6.0%
$10–15K	2.7%
$15–25K	6.3%
$25–35K	4.3%
$35–50K	7.0%
$50–75K	11.7%
$75–100K	8.8%
$100–150K	15.2%
$150–200K	11.2%
$200K+	26.9%

Age

% of all residents	Value
<10	9.9%
10–19	15.7%
20–24	13.4%
25–34	9.1%
35–44	11.4%
45–54	15.0%
55–64	10.7%
65–74	10.2%
75+	4.7%

Tenure

% of housing units	Value
Owned, with mortgage	42.8%
Owned outright	23.0%
Rented	26.6%
Vacant	7.5%

Type of building

% of housing units	Value
Detached house	71.0%
Townhome	7.5%
2–4 units	5.0%
5–19 units	6.8%
20+ units	6.5%
Mobile / other	3.0%

Businesses in 27516

790 business establishments with 5,239 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 176
Health Care and Social Assistance: 89
Construction: 83
Accommodation and Food Services: 69
Other Services (except Public Administration): 67
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing: 57
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services: 50
Retail Trade: 45

EDDM carrier routes

27516 has 31 USPS carrier routes with 18,931 residential and 579 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.

Carrier routes in 27516

27516 has 31 USPS carrier routes (9 city (C), 22 rural (R)) with 18,931 residential and 579 business mailboxes. Routes range from 129 homes (C024) to 890 homes (R042); the median route has 607 homes. The Census counted 17,503 households in 27516 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.

Homes per route	Routes
1–249	1
250–499	3
500–749	22
750–999	5
1,000–1,499	0
1,500+	0

Best routes in 27516 for…

Most businesses

For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.

Route C002 — USPS business mailboxes 144, 567 homes
Route R040 — USPS business mailboxes 95, 540 homes
Route C001 — USPS business mailboxes 70, 480 homes
Route R019 — USPS business mailboxes 33, 619 homes
Route C018 — USPS business mailboxes 33, 492 homes

Select these 5 routes on the route map

Every carrier route in 27516

Route	Type	Homes	Businesses	Est. median income	Est. owners	Est. families with kids	Est. moved in past year
C001	City	480	70	$58,139	—	—	—
C002	City	567	144	$7,500	—	—	—
C009	City	621	1	$130,342	—	—	—
C010	City	469	2	$124,903	—	—	—
C011	City	799	4	$33,659	—	—	—
C018	City	492	33	$58,139	—	—	—
C022	City	755	9	$33,659	—	—	—
C023	City	651	12	$64,221	—	—	—
C024	City	129	2	$39,121	—	—	—
R001	Rural	571	12	$70,214	—	—	—
R003	Rural	668	6	$124,903	—	—	—
R004	Rural	613	3	$70,214	—	—	—
R005	Rural	574	17	$69,002	—	—	—
R010	Rural	718	7	$70,214	—	—	—
R011	Rural	588	8	$130,342	—	—	—
R014	Rural	558	0	$132,477	—	—	—
R015	Rural	607	3	$132,477	—	—	—
R016	Rural	568	20	$61,392	—	—	—
R019	Rural	619	33	$85,907	—	—	—
R021	Rural	609	3	$200,001+	—	—	—
R025	Rural	504	8	$172,544	—	—	—
R026	Rural	638	15	$103,474	—	—	—
R029	Rural	815	7	$150,279	—	—	—
R032	Rural	591	10	$124,903	—	—	—
R034	Rural	631	2	$158,339	—	—	—
R037	Rural	575	1	$160,304	—	—	—
R038	Rural	589	0	$132,477	—	—	—
R039	Rural	786	6	$78,008	—	—	—
R040	Rural	540	95	$124,903	—	—	—
R041	Rural	716	16	$132,477	—	—	—
R042	Rural	890	30	$88,048	—	—	—

Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 27516 on the EDDM route map.

How route demographics are estimated

Mailbox counts come from USPS; demographics are estimates

The number of homes and businesses on each carrier route is the current USPS EDDM count. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for carrier routes, so income, homeownership, ages, families, movers and housing age on a route are EDDM2GO estimates built from Census block groups (neighborhood areas of roughly 600 to 3,000 people).

How a route gets its figures: the block-group length-share method

We trace each route's streets every 25 meters and record which block group each stretch falls in. The route's homes are spread along its streets in proportion to length, so a route with 60% of its street length in one block group is assumed to have 60% of its homes there. Each block group then contributes its Census counts in proportion to the share of its housing units that sit on the route (capped at the whole block group). Medians are recalculated from the combined income, home-value and age brackets, the way the Census Bureau computes them, not averaged.

Margins of error

Census survey figures carry a margin of error at 90% confidence; we carry it through the calculation and show it as ±. Our margins treat the route-to-block-group split as exact, so the real uncertainty is larger. Routes with fewer than 100 estimated households, large margins, or streets we could not place are flagged.

Different years

USPS mailbox counts are current. Census figures are 5-year averages for 2020–2024, so a new subdivision may have more homes on the route today than the Census counted. Use the route figures to compare routes with each other, not as an exact head count.

Why some routes show identical figures

Two routes that run through the same block group get the same percentages and medians, because the Census publishes one set of figures for the whole block group. Their mailbox counts still differ, and those are exact.

Route and mailbox counts: USPS EDDM route data. Route demographics: EDDM2GO estimates from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year block-group data (2020–2024) and 2024 cartographic block-group boundaries. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Nearby ZIP codes

27510 — Carrboro town, NC (4.1 mi)
27599 — Chapel Hill town, NC (5.8 mi)
27514 — Chapel Hill town, NC (7.1 mi)
27517 — Chapel Hill town, NC (8.2 mi)
27340 — Saxapahaw CDP, NC (9.1 mi)
27312 — Pittsboro town, NC (10.6 mi)
27243 — Efland CDP, NC (11 mi)
27253 — Graham city, NC (11.5 mi)

Areas that include 27516

Chapel Hill, NC ZIP codes — 4 ZIP codes
Carrboro, NC ZIP codes — 2 ZIP codes
Briar Chapel, NC ZIP codes — 2 ZIP codes
Chatham County ZIP codes — 15 ZIP codes
Orange County ZIP codes — 12 ZIP codes
North Carolina ZIP code data

Where it ranks

Mail every home in 27516

Route counts on this page price as Full Service 6.5 × 9 postcards: we print, bundle by carrier route and hand the mailing to USPS. Prefer to take it to the Post Office yourself? Print only costs less and you pay postage at drop-off.

EDDM guides

ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 27516, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.

Frequently asked questions

What city is 27516 in?: 27516 is a Chapel Hill, NC mailing address. By land area, 6% lies inside Chapel Hill, 4% lies inside Carrboro and 2% lies inside Briar Chapel; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.
What county is 27516 in?: 27516 is mostly in Orange County (83% of its land), with smaller parts in Chatham County.
What is the population of 27516?: About 47,358 people (±1,669), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 45,841.
What is the median household income in 27516?: $106,353 (±$7,545), compared with $72,388 for North Carolina as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 27516?: 31 USPS carrier routes with 18,931 residential and 579 business mailboxes (19,512 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
What ZIP codes are near 27516?: The closest, measured center to center: 27510 (4.1 mi, Carrboro), 27599 (5.8 mi, Chapel Hill), 27514 (7.1 mi, Chapel Hill), 27517 (8.2 mi, Chapel Hill), 27340 (9.1 mi, Saxapahaw) and 27312 (10.6 mi, Pittsboro).

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.