Map the Block › Places › North Carolina › Orange County
Orange County, North Carolina: crime rate, income and local data
Orange County averaged 2.0 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, 49% lower than the North Carolina rate (3.8). Households here have a median income of $90,089 and the unemployment rate was 3.5% in August 2026. About 149,678 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Orange County?
From 2021 through 2025, Orange County averaged 296 reported violent crimes a year, along with 2,688 property crimes. That is 2.0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 49% lower than the North Carolina rate (3.8), and 47% lower than the U.S. rate (3.7). Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 17.8 per 1,000 residents, compared with 20.0 across North Carolina. Aggravated assaults make up 74% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 6 homicide deaths a year in the county (4.1 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Orange County | Per 1,000 | North Carolina per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 296 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 6 | 0.04 | 0.08 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 21 | 0.14 | 0.29 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 49 | 0.32 | 0.51 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 220 | 1.5 | 3.0 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 2,688 | 17.8 | 20.0 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 381 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 2,081 | 13.8 | 14.2 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 226 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (4 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Orange County?
The median household in Orange County earns $90,089 a year, 24% higher than the North Carolina median ($72,388). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $459,500, and the median rent is $1,496 a month. 5.8% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 12.8%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.5% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 2,741 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Orange County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 149,678 | 10,730,404 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $90,089 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $459,500 | $288,900 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,496 | $1,228 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 3.6% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 12.5% | 13.0% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 5.8% | 12.8% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 61.8% | 35.7% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 63.8% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 36.1 | 39.1 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 94.0% | 90.1% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 6.5% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Orange County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Orange County as “Relatively Low”. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Orange County, active or completed (October 2026).
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 24 high-hazard dams in Orange County. 1 is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 23 Satisfactory or Fair. Tallest on the list: Cane Creek Resevoir Dam (72 ft) and Hillsborough Water Supply Dam (65 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
3 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 3,911 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Orange County was covered by 3 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Hurricane 2, Tropical Depression 1), not counting COVID-19. Of 29 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 3 (low). NHTSA counted 22 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 4 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Orange County?
Orange County had 54 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (2 active that day). Listed roads include I-40, NC 54 and I-40 Eastbound. 43 are on interstates. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Orange County?
Orange County has 38 public schools (2024-25) and 5 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 5 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 19 fire or EMS stations and 4 police or sheriff stations. 1 state park or recreation area: Eno River State Park.
What tribal lands and sacred sites are in Orange County?
Census tribal areas that reach into Orange County: Occaneechi-Saponi SDTSA.
Tribal areas are Census statistical boundaries, shown for reference; they are not legal boundaries.
See them on the map: tribal lands →
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Orange County
Gun shops
4 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Orange County, plus 6 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Leland Little (Hillsborough), Liberty Outdoors (Hillsborough), Mace Sports INC (Mebane) and Walmart #1191 (Hillsborough).
Liquor stores
8 liquor stores are on the map in Orange County: ABC (Chapel Hill), ABC Liquor (Durham), ABC Liquor Store (Chapel Hill), ABC Store (Carrboro), ABC Store (Chapel Hill), ABC Store (2 in Hillsborough) and Orange County ABC Store (Mebane). North Carolina has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
One Planned Parenthood health center is on the map in Orange County: Planned Parenthood - Chapel Hill Health Center (Chapel Hill).
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Orange County?
Orange County averaged 296 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 2.0 per 1,000 residents, 49% lower than the North Carolina rate (3.8). The property-crime rate was 17.8 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Orange County?
$90,089 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $72,388 for North Carolina and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Orange County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.5% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 2,741 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Orange County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Orange County as “Relatively Low”. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here.
Is there road construction in Orange County right now?
Orange County had 54 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (2 active that day). Listed roads include I-40, NC 54 and I-40 Eastbound. 43 are on interstates.
How many nursing homes are in Orange County?
5 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Orange County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance County | 176,893 | 4.5 | $65,651 |
| Caswell County | 22,404 | 0.71 | $59,755 |
| Chatham County | 80,151 | 1.9 | $94,317 |
| Durham County | 332,353 | 6.0 | $82,316 |
| Person County | 39,542 | 3.6 | $63,300 |
Cities in Orange County with their own page: Chapel Hill.
More: North Carolina statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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