Best Neighborhoods in Chapel Hill, NC: A Detailed Overview
Each of these neighborhoods offers its own unique lifestyle and amenities, catering to a wide range of preferences, whether you’re looking for a family-friendly community, a luxurious gated community, or the vibrant life of downtown living.
Southern Village: $280K – $1.4M
True to it’s name, Southern Village is a master-planned community designed to feel like an independent village. The residences are situated around a horseshoe shaped commercial district at the center of the community, offering an on-site grocery store, outdoor roller hockey rink, restaurants, retail shopping, a movie theater and medical offices. The Village Green provides outdoor space for the many community events that take place in the neighborhood. Other amenities include: pool, tennis spurts and a playground. Find homes for sale in Southern Village.
- Housing Types: Apartments, townhouses, single family homes
- House Sizes: Typically range from 700 to 5,800 sq ft.
- Lot Sizes: up to .5 acre.
- Amenities: Pool, tennis courts, playgrounds, outdoor roller hockey rink, onsite grocery store, restaurants, movie theater, medical offices, only a few miles from UNC Chapel Hill campus and downtown Chapel Hill, greenway access
- HOA Fees: ~$400 annually
- Age of Homes: Mostly built from the late 90’s through the early 2000s.
- Walkability: sidewalks, open green space in the middle of neighborhood square/restaurants & movie theater
Meadowmont: $485K – $1.6M
This incredible community is adjacent to UNC Chapel Hill and the neighborhood and University grounds kind of flow into one another. This is a great location for UNC staff or faculty, particularly if they want to walk to work. Meadowmont is a master- planned community, offering a mix of apartments, condos, and single-family homes. It has a village-like center with shops and restaurants, and it’s known for its walkability and beautiful green spaces. The on-site amenities are extensive and include a grocery store, retail shopping, a fitness and swim center, paved greenway trails and playgrounds. The neighborhood elementary school is walkable via the greenway. Meadowmont is highly walkable and offers easy access to nearby I-40 for those who need to commute. Find homes for sale in Meadowmont.
- Housing Types: Condos, townhomes, single family homes
- House Sizes: Typically range from 1,400 to 5,500 sq ft.
- Lot Sizes: Up to .5 acre.
- Amenities: onsite grocery store, retail, restaurants, fitness and swim center (for additional fee), paved greenway and green common areas, playgrounds.
- HOA Fees: $133/quarterly
- Age of Homes: Mostly built in the mid-2000s .
- Walkability: Sidewalks, paved greenway, includes city bus stops
Governors Club: Upper $600s – $3.3M
Governors Club is a premier gated community, anchored by the award winning, Jack Nichlaus designed, Golf course of the same name. It is said to be one of his best designed courses. Governors Club is a massive development, with beautiful tree-lined streets and sweeping views rarely seen in the Triangle. If you want to be in the mountains, but need to be in the Triangle, Governors Club might be the community for you. It has the most mountainous feel of any community within the Triangle. Interestingly, Chapel Hill has an elevation of 262 feet; relatively flat. Governors Club has an elevation of 480 feet. You can definitely feel the difference when you drive through the neighborhood. Find homes for sale in Governors Club.
- Housing Types: Townhouses, single family homes and estates
- House Sizes: Typically range from 2,500 to 9,500 sq ft.
- Lot Sizes: Ranging from .05 to 4 acres.
- Amenities: HOA includes manned gate, road & stormwater maintenance. Optional amenities for additional fee available at the Club. Club amenities include golf, tennis, pickleball, wellness center with indoor/outdoor pools, multiple gyms and fitness classes, social activities, fine dining, casual dining, nationally recognized wine program and more.
- HOA Fees: $3744/year
- Age of Homes: Construction started in the 1990’s and has continued through 2023.
- Walkability: Greenway trails throughout neighborhood.
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Lake Forest: mid-$500s – $1.9mil
Lake Forest is a densely wooded, established neighborhood of mid-century style homes. Many homes are beautiful custom works of art designed by local architects. Some homes offer lake front views of Eastwood Lake, with private docks. Some homes have been updated, but many have not, providing a gorgeous palette for your future home design of a historic gem unlike anything else. Lake Forest is connected to Cedar Falls Park providing easy access to tennis courts, playgrounds, and miles of paved nature trails. Find homes for sale in Lake Forest.
- Housing Types: single family homes
- House Sizes: Typically range from to sq ft.
- Lot Sizes: Ranging from to acres.
- Amenities: none as part of neighborhood, but city amenities at Cedar Falls park include tennis, playgrounds and miles of trails.
- HOA Fees: none
- Age of Homes: Mostly built from 1960’s through 1970’s
- Walkability: Great trail access. Walkable to Chapel Hill High School as well as a few restaurants, a coffee shop and a neighborhood bar.
Briar Chapel: $400k-$1.5mil
Briar Chapel is a Newland Designed community. Newland is a developer that takes master-planning to the next level, incorporating nature, community, commercial development and resort style amenities. Briar Chapel is one of the largest green communities in the Triangle area, offering energy-efficient homes and a focus on sustainable living. Although some parts of the neighborhood offer private backyards as well.
Briar Chapel has an on-site social club with a full time activities director. Lots in Briar Chapel are small and many homes are designed around a central gathering space, to help foster relationships between neighbors. The 1.5 mile long “decompression zone” on entering the neighborhood, really does make you feel like you’ve left the busy world behind. This scenic curvy road into the neighborhood, helps residents decompress from the long day before their arrival at home. Briar Chapel has miles of sidewalks, and a 10 mile competitive mountain bike trail, 8 neighborhood parks, some with playgrounds, multiple sports courts including tennis, pickleball and basketball courts, an on-site water park with cabana. Find homes for sale in Briar Chapel.
- Housing Types: townhomes and single family homes
- House Sizes: 1400 – 5000SF
- Lot Sizes: .08 acres – .2 acres
- Amenities: resort style water park with cabana, 10 miles of mountain bike trails, 8 parks, sports courts, tennis, pickleball and basketball. On staff social director.
- HOA Fees: $150/month, plus $85/month for townhomes
- Age of Homes: 2014 – 2023
- Walkability: Very walkable within the neighborhood.
Historic Franklin Street Area:
For those who prefer a more urban environment, the area around Franklin Street in downtown Chapel Hill offers a vibrant mix of apartments, condos, and historic homes, with easy access to shops, restaurants, and cultural venues. You can walk to just about anything you could need, whether that is museums, nightlife or that cool little coffee shop for your daily cuppa. There is also decent public transportation in this area. Housing includes lots of variation, with plenty of cool historic options as well as newer builds. Find homes in the Historic Franklin Street area.
- Housing Types: Condos, townhomes, single family homes.
- House Sizes: 700 SF – 10,000 SF
- Lot Sizes: Most homes have larger lots over .3 acre
- Amenities: City amenities such as parks, greenways, museums, library within walking distance.
- HOA Fees: Varies, depending on neighborhood.
- Age of Homes: Many built in 1960s-1970s, with a few newer outliers.
- Walkability: Highly walkable
The Oaks: $580s – $2.8 million
The Oaks is a really lovely community of estate style homes, on spacious lots surrounding the Chapel Hill Country Club. With a mix of modern and traditional architecture, this community has a unique, custom feel. Sometimes wooded neighborhoods can feel overly dark, but The Oaks manages to be bright and happy while being filled with beautiful old Oak Trees. Many homes have golf course views. Find homes for sale in The Oaks.
- Housing Types: Single Family homes with very rare condos available
- House Sizes: 2000 – 7500 sq ft.
- Lot Sizes: Most homes have at least ½ an acre
- Amenities: None included. Additional fee to join Chapel Hill Country Club, that includes tennis/pickleball, golf, pool with swim team.
- HOA Fees: $100/year for neighborhood, extra for membership to Chapel Hill Country Club
- Age of Homes: Mostly built from the 1970s through early 2000’s .
- Walkability: Walkable to Meadowmont Village and UNC
Greenwood: $600k – $2.6million
This well established neighborhood is one of Chapel Hill’s best examples of modernist architecture! Many homes have been remodeled and you’ll also see later builds in various styles and even an occasional new build. Densely wooded and walkable via the greenway to Chapel Hills Community Park, Community Rose Garden and if you happen to be a potter, Community Clay Studio. It doesn’t get better than this! Find homes for sale in Greenwood.
- Housing Types: Single Family Homes
- House Sizes: Typically range from 2300 to 8000 sq ft.
- Lot Sizes: Ranging from .5 to 1 acre.
- Amenities: city amenities in neighborhood including community park, greenway community rose garden, community pottery studio.
- HOA Fees: none
- Age of Homes: Mostly built from 1960’s through early 2000s .
- Walkability: Very walkable with sidewalks and multiple greenway trails connecting to shopping and restaurants.
Winmore: $300k – $1million
This precious neighborhood is designed to feel like an urban village. Homes are centered around the Village Green, where community events like movie nights and food truck gatherings take place for residents. Some walkable businesses are located on the green within the neighborhood. Find homes for sale in Winmore.
- Housing Types: Condos, Townhomes and Single Family Homes
- House Sizes: Typically range from 1200 to 4500 sq ft.
- Lot Sizes: Ranging from .09 to .15 acres.
- Amenities: Clubhouse, pool
- HOA Fees: $395/quarter
- Age of Homes: Mostly built from 2009 through 2019 .
- Walkability: Walkable within the neighborhood and to local parks via the greenway. But no commercial districts nearby.
