ZIP 27278

27278 is one of 7 ZIP codes that lie mostly in Orange County, NC — 96% of its own area is in the county.

Shaded by typical home value, it ranks 3 of the 6 with a value.

13 school locations in 27278: 5 elementary, 3 middle, 4 high, 1 other.

In alphabetical order: A L Stanback Middle, Cedar Ridge High, Central Elementary, Eno River Academy, and more on the ZIP page. Locations only — no ratings are shown here.

In February 2001 the typical home in 27278 was worth $197,355.

Values peaked at $487,097 in February 2025. The latest reading is −3.0% from that peak.

As of August 2026: $472,719, −2.5% over twelve months.

Start with the typical home: $472,719. Put 20% down and borrow $378,175 at 7.40%, the 30-year fixed average as of October 8, 2026.

That is $2,618 a month in principal and interest.

The median household here earns $101,821 a year, $8,485 a month. So the payment takes 30.9% of income — rated “stretched” (Lotvox ZIP bands: under 28% affordable · 28–36% stretched · 36%+ severe).

The line holds today's rate fixed and moves only the price: at that rate, the same share was 12.9% in 2001.

Take the typical home's price each month, borrow 80% at that month's actual 30-year average rate: in February 2001 (7.05%) the payment was $1,056.

In December 2020, with rates at 2.68%, it was $1,101.

By August 2026, at 6.67%, it was $2,432 — +121% since December 2020, while the home's value moved +39%.

Reported values rose +140% since February 2001.

General prices (CPI-U) rose +90% over the same span.

Divide one by the other: in August 2026 dollars, the 2001 home was worth $374,673. So the real change is +26%, not +140%.

27278: +119% since August 2004.

Orange County: +111% since August 2004.

North Carolina: +125% since August 2004 — 27278 ran behind it by 6 points.

Owning the typical home costs about $3,091 a month once taxes and insurance (estimated at 1.2% of price a year) are added. Renting runs about $1,496 a month.

Price divided by a year's rent: 26.3. Lotvox reads under 15 as favoring buying and 20 or more as favoring renting.

Picture the Listings Flow Ladder as a basin: new listings pour in from the faucet, the homes for sale are the water, and closed sales run out the drain. Coming in — new listings: about 46 a month (Redfin, 3-month rolling data through August 2026). That is 99% of the 2015–2019 level for the same months.

On the shelf — homes for sale at the end of the period: 119.

Going out — closed sales: about 41 a month. That is 92% of the 2015–2019 level for the same months.

The ladder: homes for sale ÷ monthly sales = 2.9 months of supply — below the 4–6 month range Lotvox treats as balanced. In the basin, that is the water level against the shaded balanced band.

The net reading: about 5 more homes came on than sold each month, so inventory is growing. The basin is filling.

Homes sold: about 41 a month in August 2026 (Redfin).

The 2015–2019 level for the same month was 35 — so sales ran at 117% of it, and below it in 18 of the last 24 months.

Across Orange County, builders pulled permits for 666 new homes in 2025.

Of those, 45% were in 1-unit buildings (the Census Bureau's category for detached and attached single homes).

This ZIP sits in Orange County. IRS tax returns for 2022-2023: among the ten counties sending the most households, 2,756 moved in. Among the ten receiving the most, 3,658 moved out.

Net across those counties: −902 households. Beside it, homes for sale in this ZIP: 119 in June 2026.

Most arrivals came from Durham, NC (1,135 households); most departures went to Durham, NC (1,356).