Orange County NC Website
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5 <br />maps, data and analyses of the AHSP are summarized below and include <br />the following: <br /> <br /> <br /> Income and Poverty <br />• The median income for Orange County has continued to be well <br />above that for the state and neighboring jurisdictions. In 2011 the <br />median household income for Orange County was $56,055, <br />compared to $46,291 for North Carolina. <br /> <br />• Based on a comparison between the 2000 Census and 2007-2011 <br />American Community Survey estimates, Orange County’s <br />population increased by 11.5% between 2000 and 2011. The <br />median household income of the area increased almost threefold <br />compared to the population increase, 32.3%. This indicates that a <br />higher percentage of higher income persons moved into the area. <br />New housing construction (and existing housing <br />developments upgrading) has responded predominately to the <br />higher income market. As a result rents have continued to <br />climb and the number of affordable units to decline shutting <br />lower income households out of the market for affordable <br />decent, safe and sound housing. <br /> <br />• In comparison, to an increase in median household income, nearly <br />forty percent (39.74%) of all residents in Orange County were <br />considered low- to <br /> <br />• moderate-income at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census. In the Town <br />of Chapel Hill, approximately 37.44% of the residents were <br />considered low- to moderate-income at the time of the 2007-2011 <br />American Community Survey. The Town of Carrboro had a 46.07% <br />low- to moderate-income population percentage, while 46.43% of <br />the Town of Hillsborough was low- to moderate-income. <br /> <br />• Over fifteen percent 16.9% (20,542 individuals) of the <br />population in Orange County was living below the poverty <br />level in 2011, according to the 2007-2011 American Community <br />Survey. This was up from 14.1% (15,318 individuals) in 1999. <br /> <br />• As median income has gone up so have the number of residents in <br />poverty and in unstable and or substandard housing; and the <br />number faced with the option of last result--moving out of their <br />community and the county for affordable housing. Worse still are <br /> 120