Durham, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Durham, NC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below average
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Durham | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 249,652 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2086.2 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.34% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.2 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 107,857 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Durham grew by 31.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 249,652 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Durham is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 25.8% of residents. That is 4.4 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 63,780 25.5% +3.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 64,421 25.8% +4.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 46,537 18.6% -1.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 30,845 12.4% -4.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below North Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 52.4% of the people living in Durham and men 47.6%.
- Women 52.4% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 47.6% North Carolina 48.9%
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Economy
Durham has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Durham | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $79,821 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.02% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Durham is about 10% higher than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Durham | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $276,199 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,485 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 49.0% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Durham is about 15.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,485 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Durham spend about 40 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 169 hours, about 7.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Durham | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.2 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.5 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 169 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,231 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 22.9% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 15,698 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,919 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Durham is 20 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in North Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Durham has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Durham | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.8% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.21 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Durham has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Durham | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.2 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.3% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.7% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Durham, NC Compared With Nearby Cities
How Durham, NC compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham, NC | 249,652 | $79,821 #3/3 | $276,199 #2/3 | 20.2 min #3/3 |
| Chapel Hill, NC | 57,175 | $84,975 | $218,405 | 17.4 min |
| Morrisville, NC | 22,339 | $136,940 | $566,521 | 20.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Durham, North Carolina.
What is the population of Durham, North Carolina?
About 249,652 people live in Durham, North Carolina, in 107,857 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 33.2, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Durham, North Carolina urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Durham, North Carolina has 2,086 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 24 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Durham, North Carolina?
The median home costs 3.5 times the median household income ($276,199 against $79,821), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,485 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Durham, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Durham, North Carolina is only 3.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Durham, North Carolina?
47.8% of adults in Durham, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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