Chapel Hill Apartments and Rentals

Home to the nation’s oldest state university, Chapel Hill is the quintessential college town, a place where the streets feel laced with tradition and where residents will readily point out that, along with everything else in town, even the sky is Carolina blue. Basketball and barbecue tend to get top billing, but breweries, biscuits and bass players are also all fixtures of this culturally vibrant university community.

People looking for Chapel Hill apartments for rent will find themselves joining generations of students, educators and artists who have been drawn to the historic town and its unique brand of Southern charm.

Since it was chartered in 1789, or perhaps since the first student arrived in 1795, the University of North Carolina has been the backbone of Chapel Hill, providing the town with a strong sense of community as well as a fresh influx of new residents each fall. Around 58,000 people officially live in Chapel Hill, according to 2010 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, but its constantly revolving and historically broad student population ensures that many more continue to think of it as home.

Steps away from campus, downtown Chapel Hill is defined by the main thoroughfare of Franklin Street and its bustling lineup of student-friendly bars, restaurants and shops. Downtown Chapel Hill apartments also offer easy access to the adjacent and inextricably linked town of Carrboro, which expands on Chapel Hill’s cultural offerings, while the quiet, wooded neighborhoods around town help Chapel Hill consistently earn recognition as one of the country’s most desirable places to live.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the main campus of the 17 institutions in the UNC system, with more than 28,000 students and more than 3,000 faculty members. Offering a wide range of undergraduate, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees, UNC Chapel Hill is repeatedly ranked among the nation’s top universities. UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill is also one of the state and the nation’s most highly regarded hospitals.

Education and healthcare dominate the job market in Chapel Hill. The university is the town’s top employer by a significant margin, with over 11,000 employees, and UNC Hospitals also serves as a major driver of employment. Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC and the Carrboro-Chapel Hill school system are also large employers.

Many Chapel Hill residents also find work in the nearby Research Triangle Park, which is home to a number of major technology and pharmaceutical companies.

Despite a large student population, Chapel Hill rental prices remain reasonably affordable. According to the US Census Bureau, the median gross rent in Chapel Hill from 2008-2010 was $839. 

Additional research shows one bedroom apartments in Chapel Hill ranging from around $550 to $800. Residents, especially students and university employees, may find that they can cut costs by living within walking distance of campus or by living near a bus stop, since the Chapel Hill bus system is entirely free.

The university helps sustain many of Chapel Hill’s cultural and nightlife offerings, and nothing looms quite so large over the town culture as UNC sports, especially the storied and highly successful men’s basketball program. Duke University, in nearby Durham, is a fierce rival, and major rivalry or championship basketball victories can prompt huge spontaneous celebrations in the Chapel Hill streets.

Halloween is another major occasion where the Chapel Hill streets are flooded with people, as typically tens of thousands of people from all over the region come to dress up and join the downtown celebration.

Chapel Hill is also home to lively theater, dining, music and arts scenes. The university-affiliated Playmakers Theater is nationally recognized, and other theater companies abound. The warm climate provides a bounty of fresh ingredients at a number of celebrated restaurants, while a strong history of indie rock in Chapel Hill ensures that the town is a stop for touring bands as well as the home to a variety of buzzing local acts.

To find a Chapel Hill apartment or rental, check out our apartment listings. Rent.com® is happy to help you find your next home.