Chapel Hill, North Carolina

This small town is home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school has a large 729-acre campus and a student population of 29,000. We found the downtown Chapel Hill commercial district rather disappointing, as it contains few old or historic structures. The quality of the community is reflected in the following statistics: Median family income $88,000 vs. regional average of $69,000; percentage of locals who drive to work: 71% vs. regional average of 92% (I frequently saw buses when I visited). However, the average price of a home is $342,000 (all figures as of 2010). Hailed as ‘America's Foodiest Small Town’ by Bon Appétit magazine, Chapel Hill is rapidly becoming somewhat of a hot spot for pop American cuisine, which is likely due to the college town's entrepreneur-friendly business environment. If you seek a smaller, more sedate town, we suggest Carrboro, just southwest of Chapel Hill.