Orange County, North Carolina
59,366 parcels. Parcel data edition 2026-11-02.
Who owns the land
| Measure | County | Of what | North Carolina | Rank in state (highest first) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Out-of-state owners | 5.7% | 3,270 of 57,796 parcels with a known mailing state | 9.8% | 74 of 96 |
| Absentee owners | no data | no data | 39.6% | no data |
| Vacant lots | 16.8% | 9,965 of 59,366 parcels in all | 22.8% | 78 of 91 |
| Inherited (estate or heirs) | 1.0% | 578 of 59,110 parcels with an owner name | 1.3% | 66 of 99 |
| Owned by individuals | 77.3% | 45,692 of 59,110 parcels with an owner name | 80.2% | 85 of 99 |
| Publicly owned | 2.2% | 1,278 of 59,110 parcels with an owner name | 1.5% | 14 of 99 |
- Absentee owners: no data. For fewer than half of this county's in-state parcels could the owner's mailing address be compared with the property's address.
Where out-of-state owners live
By the owner's mailing address, for the 3,270 out-of-state parcels.
| Mailing state | Parcels | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 436 | 13.3% |
| Illinois | 326 | 10.0% |
| Texas | 305 | 9.3% |
| Virginia | 284 | 8.7% |
| Florida | 243 | 7.4% |
| New York | 192 | 5.9% |
| Georgia | 173 | 5.3% |
| Arizona | 164 | 5.0% |
| Maryland | 142 | 4.3% |
| South Carolina | 112 | 3.4% |
| 41 other states and territories | 867 | 26.5% |
| US military mail (APO/FPO) | 1 | under 0.1% |
| Outside the US, or an unrecognized code | 25 | 0.8% |
Housing context
| Measure | County | North Carolina | Rank in state (highest first) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms | $1,711/month | $1,095/month (median county) | 8 of 99 |
| Fair market rent, change over 5 years | +50.9% | +35.5% (median county) | 15 of 99 |
| Median home value (owners' estimate) | $459,500 | $220,100 (median county) | 3 of 99 |
| Price-to-rent (home value / a year of rent) | 22.4 | 16.3 (median county) | 8 of 99 |
| Housing units, 2020 to 2025 | +5.7% | +9.3% | 43 of 99 |
Rent: HUD FMR (FY26); HUD sets one rent for a whole metro area. Rent change: HUD FMR, FY2021 to FY2026. Home value: Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average; price-to-rent divides it by twelve months of the HUD rent above. Housing units: Census Housing Unit Estimates (vintage 2025).
Compared with neighboring counties
| County | Out-of-state owners | Absentee owners | Vacant lots | Inherited (estate or heirs) | Owned by individuals | Publicly owned | 2BR rent | Rent change, 5 yrs | Price-to-rent | Housing units 2020-25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County | 5.7% | no data | 16.8% | 1.0% | 77.3% | 2.2% | $1,711 | +50.9% | 22.4 | +5.7% |
| Alamance County | 4.0% | 29.9% | 17.3% | 2.8% | 83.4% | 0.7% | $1,348 | +52.3% | 14.9 | +12.7% |
| Caswell County | 9.3% | 47.5% | 32.4% | 2.3% | 89.5% | 0.8% | $925 | +33.5% | 14.8 | +2.3% |
| Chatham County | 4.5% | 35.8% | 25.3% | 2.1% | 79.3% | 1.0% | $1,711 | +50.9% | 21.7 | +12.1% |
| Durham County | 8.3% | 41.0% | 15.3% | 0.7% | 73.7% | 1.9% | $1,711 | +50.9% | 19.0 | +12.9% |
| Person County | 5.2% | 36.4% | 29.2% | 6.0% | 86.9% | 0.6% | $948 | +25.2% | 18.8 | +3.9% |