Chatham County, North Carolina

NC · FIPS 37037 Democrat

Located in North Carolina, Chatham County has a population of 80,151 residents and a median age of 47.6 years, making it the #727 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.0%. The median home value is $446,200, and the median household income is $94,317, which is 26% above the national median.

80,151
Population
#727 of 3,222
$94,317
Median Income
+25.5% #234 of 3,222
47.6 years
Median Age
+22.4% #394 of 3,222
11.0%
Poverty Rate
-12.3% #1,015 of 3,222

Demographics

Chatham County has a population of 80,151, making it the #727 most populous county in the US. The median age is 47.6 years, which is 22.4% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

89.6%
Native Born
10.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Chatham County is $94,317, ranking #234 out of 3,222 counties — 25.5% above the national median. The poverty rate is 11.0% and unemployment stands at 2.9%.

Income#234
$94,317
+25.5%
vs nation
93th percentile
Per Capita#75
$59,363
+43.9%
vs nation
98th percentile
Poverty#1,015
11.0%
-12.3%
vs nation
69th percentile
Unemployment#634
2.9%
-44.9%
vs nation
80th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Chatham County is $446,200 (+58.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,180/mo and the homeownership rate is 80.6%.

Home Value#204
$446,200
+58.3%
vs nation
94th percentile
Rent#569
$1,180
+1.5%
vs nation
82th percentile
Homeownership#540
80.6%
+25.1%
vs nation
83th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Chatham County, 48.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 45.2% above the national average, ranking #111 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
48.9% +45.2% vs nation
Rank #111 of 3,222
97th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Chatham County is 79.9 years. 16.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#229
79.9
+6.4%
vs nation
93th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#833
16.1%
-17.7%
vs nation
74th percentile
Diabetes#1,115
9.9%
-11.1%
vs nation
65th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#112
30.1%
-19.3%
vs nation
97th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#205
4.7
-17.1%
vs nation
94th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#291
3.6
-19.2%
vs nation
91th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,021
11.4%
+9.3%
vs nation
36th percentile
Physical Inactivity#374
20.5%
-22.3%
vs nation
88th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,019
12.6%
-12.5%
vs nation
68th percentile

Substance Use

13.8% of adults in Chatham County smoke , 30.7% are obese , and 19.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 30.4 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#416
13.8%
-23.2%
vs nation
87th percentile
Adult Obesity#225
30.7%
-19.0%
vs nation
93th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,424
19.6%
-1.4%
vs nation
55th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,194
30.4
-6.0%
vs nation
44th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Chatham County is 3.8 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 12.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 18.1 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#402
3.8
-52.4%
vs nation
74th percentile
Suicide Rate#290
12.0
-39.2%
vs nation
89th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#683
12.6
-29.6%
vs nation
72th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,364
18.1
-10.6%
vs nation
52th percentile

Families & Children

11.7% of children in Chatham County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 9.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,004
7.9
+15.7%
vs nation
27th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#382
9.4
-56.8%
vs nation
87th percentile
Child Poverty#550
11.7%
-38.4%
vs nation
83th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Chatham County is 89.5%. The mean commute time is 31.1 min, which is 12.5% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
89.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
31.1 min +12.5% vs nation
Rank #717 of 3,222
78th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Chatham County voted Democratic with a margin of 12.5%. The vote was 55.7% Dem / 43.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +1.0 toward Democrats .

2024 DEM +12.5%
55.7% 43.2%
Dem 52,098 votes Rep
2020 DEM +11.5%
55.1% 43.6%
Dem 48,599 votes Rep
2016 DEM +10.1%
53.6% 43.5%
Dem 39,080 votes Rep
2012 DEM +4.7%
51.9% 47.2%
Dem 35,157 votes Rep
2008 DEM +9.7%
54.3% 44.6%
Dem 32,880 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Chatham County, North Carolina

Chatham County, North Carolina has a total population of 80,151, making it the 727th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Chatham County is 47.6 years, which is 22.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Chatham County is $94,317, which ranks #234 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 25.5% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.0%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.9%.

The median home value in Chatham County is $446,200, 58.3% above the national median. Renters in Chatham County pay a median gross rent of $1,180 per month. The homeownership rate is 80.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Chatham County, 48.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 45.2% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 31.1 min.

Chatham County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 69.5% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (13.6%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (10.0%).

All data for Chatham County, North Carolina comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.