HomeNorth CarolinaOrange County
Orange County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Orange County, North Carolina has a population of 149,678 across 398 square miles, up 2.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $13.07 bn in 2024, 3,491 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 103 7(a) approvals worth $54.3 m.
129 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Orange County
How many people live in Orange County
- Population149,678
- Households57,342
- Average household size2.61
- Median household income$90,089
- Median age36.1
- Median gross rent$1,496 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$459,500
- Home value to household income5.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher61.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree34.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over94,433
- Population under 1828,235
- Share under 1818.9 percent
- Population 65 and over24,097
- Share 65 and over16.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6497,346
- Civilian labor force77,502
- Unemployment rate3.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.8 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties21st of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents459th
Orange County is the 21st largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 5.1 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 18.9 percent against 16.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Orange County
Is Orange County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.80 percent
- Census 2020 base population148,707
- Births, 20241,205
- Deaths, 2024977
- Natural change, 2024228
- Net domestic migration, 2024-1,177
- Net international migration, 20241,577
- Total net migration, 2024400
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20244,645
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents925th
The county has grown 2.80 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Orange County
Where people moving to Orange County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving5,955
- People arriving, from those returns9,879
- Adjusted gross income arriving$608.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$102,140
- Largest single originOrange County Non-migrants (47,900 households)
- Largest single destination (47,900 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County Non-migrants | 47,900 | 97,973 | $7.37 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,909 | 3,111 | $229.9 m |
| Durham County | 1,272 | 2,231 | $117.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 792 | 1,298 | $66.1 m |
| Wake County | 599 | 988 | $56.9 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 438 | 681 | $42.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 396 | 621 | $26.6 m |
| Alamance County | 354 | 669 | $20.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Orange County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Orange County
What the Orange County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$13.07 bn
- County GDP, 2023$12.37 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.6 percent
- GDP change over five years36.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties11th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents358th
- GDP per resident$87,312
Output grew 5.6 percent in the latest year and 36.5 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Orange County
Who employs people in Orange County
- Covered employment, annual average78,431
- Establishments reporting5,494
- Average annual pay$79,229
- Average weekly wage$1,524
- Sector 44-45, employment6,513
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$40,644
- Sector 72, employment6,239
- Sector 72, average annual pay$26,853
- Sector 62, employment6,000
- Sector 62, average annual pay$65,470
- Sector 54, employment4,964
- Sector 54, average annual pay$124,810
- Sector 81, employment2,242
- Sector 23, employment2,065
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 6,513 | 358 | $40,644 |
| Sector 72 | 6,239 | 356 | $26,853 |
| Sector 62 | 6,000 | 606 | $65,470 |
| Sector 54 | 4,964 | 1,242 | $124,810 |
| Sector 81 | 2,242 | 637 | $54,234 |
| Sector 23 | 2,065 | 369 | $71,477 |
| Sector 56 | 1,919 | 329 | $61,932 |
| Sector 31-33 | 1,897 | 109 | $71,098 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 6,513 jobs, 8.3 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Orange County
What businesses operate in Orange County
- Establishments, all industries3,491
- Employment at those establishments51,807
- Annual payroll$3.14 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Orange County
What is being built in Orange County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024375
- Declared construction value permitted$169.0 m
- Single family units authorised325
- Multifamily units authorised50
- Multifamily share of units13.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$450,630
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.5
Multifamily is 13.3 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Orange County
How much SBA lending happens in Orange County
- 7(a) approvals recorded103
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$54.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$526,755
- Median 7(a) approval$299,800
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,200,000
- Largest single approval$3,700,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,371
- Jobs per approval13.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active37
- Distinct industries receiving approvals56
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer7.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms8
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter84
- Franchise loans28
- Franchise share of approvals27.2 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (8)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (19)
- 504 approvals recorded25
- 504 gross approval dollars$19.9 m
- Average 504 approval$795,680
- Median 504 approval$656,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval10.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.7
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (15)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals80.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$74.1 m
The average approval of $526,755 sits well above the median of $299,800, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 7.8 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Orange County
Do SBA loans in Orange County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded14
- Paid in full13
- Charged off1
- Charge off rate on resolved loans7.1 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure61
- Status: Paid in full13
- Status: Cancelled17
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed11
- Status: Charged off1
Of the 14 loans that have reached a final outcome, 7.1 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Orange County
Which parts of Orange County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending8
- CHAPEL HILL, approvals67
- Hillsborough, approvals15
- CARRBORO, approvals10
- EFLAND, approvals3
- Durham, approvals3
- MEBANE, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| CHAPEL HILL | 67 | $35,974,900 |
| Hillsborough | 15 | $5,630,500 |
| CARRBORO | 10 | $5,911,800 |
| EFLAND | 3 | $387,500 |
| Durham | 3 | $703,100 |
| MEBANE | 2 | $4,000,000 |
| CEDAR GROVE | 2 | $945,000 |
| CARY | 1 | $703,000 |
CHAPEL HILL accounts for 67 approvals against 15 in Hillsborough. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Orange County
How big is Orange County
- Land area398 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties63rd of 100
- Width, east to west17.3 mi
- Height, north to south26.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land376
- Establishments per square mile8.77
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Orange County
What hazards affect Orange County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP5
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The best Community Rating System class in the county is 6, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for properties in the participating community.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Orange County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Orange County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population149,678
- Households57,342
- Average household size2.61
- Median household income$90,089
- Median age36.1
Common questions
Orange County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Orange County, North Carolina?
149,678, in 57,342 households, ranking 21st of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Orange County growing?
The population has grown 2.80 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,205 births against 977 deaths, with net migration of 400. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Orange County?
$90,089. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $459,500, which is 5.1 times income, and median gross rent is $1,496 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Orange County?
3,491 establishments, employing 51,807 people with an annual payroll of $3.14 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Orange County?
Average annual pay is $79,229, or $1,524 a week, across 78,431 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Orange County?
103 7(a) approvals totalling $54.3 m since FY2020, across 37 lenders, with a median approval of $299,800, plus 25 504 approvals worth $19.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Orange County get paid back?
Of the 14 loans that have reached a final outcome, 13 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge off rate of 7.1 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Orange County?
375 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $169.0 m. Multifamily was 13.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Orange County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Orange County come from?
The largest single origin is Orange County Non-migrants, with 47,900 households. Arriving households report an average income of $102,140 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Orange County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Orange County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.