Durham, North Carolina
Cost of living, housing, income, commute, climate, and safety — compiled for relocators researching Durham.
Key figures
Each metric shows how Durham compares with the U.S. baseline (ACS/BLS nationals where available; catalog-city averages for crime, climate, and commute). Income, housing, population, and crime are for the incorporated city (city limits), not the broader metro/MSA — unemployment is county-level (BLS LAUS).
- Population
- 288,465City limits · not metro/MSA
- Median household income
- $79,234Incorporated place (ACS)Near U.S. avg ($78,538)U.S. $78,538
- Housing cost index
- 111ACS home+rent vs U.S. (100 = avg)11% above U.S. avgU.S. 100
- Median home value
- $355,300City limits (ACS)17% above U.S. avgU.S. $303,400
- Median rent
- $1,412City limits (ACS)Near U.S. avg ($1,348)U.S. $1,348
- Unemployment
- 3.2%County LAUS · not city-onlyNear U.S. avg (4.2 pts)U.S. 4.2 pts
- Avg commute
- 23 min8% below U.S. avgU.S. 25 min
- Walk Score
- 3033% below U.S. avgU.S. 45
- Violent crime rate
- 730annualized per 100k · citywide21% above U.S. avgU.S. 602.7
- Property crime rate
- 3807.6annualized per 100k · citywide23% above U.S. avgU.S. 3084.9
- Summer high
- 89°F2.0°F above U.S. avgU.S. 87°F
- Winter low
- 33°FNear U.S. avg (34°F)U.S. 34°F
- Annual rainfall
- 46.1 in40% above U.S. avgU.S. 32.9 in
- Sunny days
- 2477% below U.S. avgU.S. 266
Compare Durham with another city
Piedmont research corridors and coastal storm exposure both matter. Expect summer highs near 89°F and winter lows around 33°F. Average one-way commute time is about 23 minutes, and Walk Score estimates land around 30/100. Labor-market readings near 3.2% unemployment are neither boom nor bust by national standards. Violent-offense rates near 730 per 100k sit in a mid-to-elevated band versus many peer cities in this catalog.
Durham, North Carolina counts about 288,465 residents inside the city limits. With median income around $79,234 and a cost index of 111, the market reads close to the national housing-cost baseline. A typical home near $355,300 and rents around $1,412 frame most shortlists.
Durham is compact enough that a single wrong neighborhood choice is easy to feel day to day — visit at commute hour before signing. Figures on this page are merged from Census ACS, BLS LAUS, FBI Crime Data Explorer, and NOAA Climate Normals — use them to compare Durham with nearby alternatives before you relocate.
Nearby & similar cities
Continue researching with these internal links — each page is a full data profile.
Sources
- Census / ACS: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year (Durham city, 1600000US3719000)
- BLS: BLS LAUS LAUCN370630000000003 (Durham County, May 2026)
- Crime: FBI CIUS Table 8 (2019) city offenses known to law enforcement — rates per 100k; CDE API unavailable at enrich time
- Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 Monthly Normals (USW00013722 RALEIGH DURHAM INTL AP)
Last updated 2026-07-28
Canonical profile · All North Carolina cities · Full city index