What income do you need to buy a house in Chapel Hill, NC?
It takes about $176,000/yr to afford the typical Chapel Hill, NC home ($631K, -0.7% past year) at today's rates. Starter homes run around $373K. See if you can afford a house in Chapel Hill (2026 data) — free, no signup.
Market snapshot (2026-08)
- Income needed to buy the typical home: about $176,000/yr (28% front-end ratio, 20% down, 7.03% 30-yr fixed, NC property tax and insurance)
- Typical home value: $631K (Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08)
- 1-year change: -0.7%
- Bottom 35% of homes: $373K
- Top 35% of homes start around: $1.01M
- Typical rent: $1,690/mo
- Median household income: $86K
- Price-to-income ratio: 7.3
- Estimated payment on the typical home: $3,369/mo principal & interest (20% down, 7.03% 30-yr fixed)
Nearby housing markets
The most affordable cities to buy a house in North Carolina
Home values are Zillow Group public data (ZHVI, updated monthly); income and population are US Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates. Estimates only — not financial advice.
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