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COMMUNITY PROFILE
<br />Orange County, North Carolina includes the towns of Carrboro, Hillsborough, and Chapel Hill,
<br />the home of the largest campus of the State university system -the University of North Carolina
<br />at Chapel Hill. The County is part of the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Metropolitan Statistical
<br />Area (MSA) which comprises six counties in the Research Triangle Area with a population of
<br />approximately 1.1 million people. The region has been highly rated as a place to live and do
<br />business.
<br />Within Orange County, there are three towns, each with its own unique features and character.
<br />Further, the presence of university students, more affluent and transient than other county
<br />residents, has created an imbalance in terms of housing and community development needs.
<br />Orange County must, therefore, concentrate its efforts on serving a strong urban community as
<br />well as the smaller towns and rural communities.
<br />A) Population
<br />The 1990 US Census listed Orange County's population as 93,851. This is an increase of 173%,
<br />from the 1950 population of 34,434 persons. Overall, 57.4% of County residents reside within
<br />the municipal limits of the County's four towns: Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough and
<br />Mebane (Orange Co. portion only). Chapel Hill township contains the largest number of persons
<br />(61,973) while Little River has the fewest (2,183).
<br />Orange County Population :1950-1990
<br />Township 1990 1970 1950
<br />Bingham 5,184 2,379 1,801
<br />Cedar Grove 3,691 3,146 3,392
<br />Chapel Hill 61,973 ~ 38,856 18,222
<br />Cheeks 5,422 3,571 3,021
<br />Eno 5,262 2,550 1,537
<br />Hillsborough 10,136 ~ 5,855 5,205
<br />Little River 2,183 1,210 1,257
<br />Municipalities _~
<br />Carrboro 11,553 5,058 1,795
<br />Chapel Hill 37,596 25,533 9,177
<br />Hillsborough 4,263 1,444 1,329
<br />Mebane 485 186 139
<br />ORANGE CO. 93,851 57,567 34,434
<br />Source: US Census: 1950-1990
<br />The population of Orange County is 109,288 according to the July 1998 population estimate.
<br />This represents a 16.4% increase in population since the 1990 Census. This growth rate is
<br />slightly higher than the state increase of approximately 12%. The demand for housing over the
<br />coming years will be fueled by the evolving age dynamics of the population base.
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