Durham County, North Carolina Housing Market Prices
Durham County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 4% above the North Carolina median More expensive than 74% of counties in North Carolina$290,354
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Median rent 23% above the North Carolina median Among the 3 most expensive counties in North Carolina$1,507
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Durham County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $290,354 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 9.4% | 9.3% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,507 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 6.4% | 5.3% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Durham County is about 4% higher than in North Carolina. Rent is about 23% higher than the North Carolina average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Durham County, up about 9.4% and 6.4% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Durham County rose about 68.6% between 2015 and 2024, from $894 to $1,507. Over the same span, rent in North Carolina rose about 54.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 3.4 yearly household incomes in Durham County.
Buying the median-priced home in Durham County costs roughly 16.1 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Durham County. The price-to-rent ratio in North Carolina is about 18.9.
| Metric | Durham County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $290,354 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $84,826 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Durham County rose about 117.8%, while median household income rose about 59.5% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Durham County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 51.5% | 58.3% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 41.2% | 29.2% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 7.3% | 12.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 13.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2013 | 2011 | 2011 |
Durham County has a homeownership rate of 51.5%, lower than the North Carolina average of 58.3%. Its housing vacancy rate is 7.3%, compared with 12.5% in North Carolina.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Durham County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.24 people | 2.44 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1990 | 1989 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.3 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Durham County was built around 1990. On average, 2.2 people live in a home with about 5.3 rooms, staying for about 13.0 years on average.
Durham County, NC Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Durham County, NC is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 331,707 residents against a local median of 80,150. The measure that sets Durham County, NC apart most is homeownership: 55.5%, 28% below the local median of 77.1%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median rent tells the same story from another angle: $1,507 against a local median of $1,179, 28% above it. The counties themselves spread 16.7% on homeownership, so Durham County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Durham County, NC has the 6th highest homeownership of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham County, NC | 331,707 | $290,354 #3/6 | $1,507 #2/6 | 55.5% #6/6 |
| Orange County, NC | 149,658 | $271,999 | $1,495 | 63.8% |
| Wake County, NC | 1,178,613 | $429,483 | $1,622 | 64.1% |
| Granville County, NC | 60,874 | $113,314 | $1,008 | 77.1% |
| Person County, NC | 39,541 | $2,026,786 | $864 | 77.3% |
| Chatham County, NC | 80,150 | $194,860 | $1,179 | 80.6% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Durham County, North Carolina.
What is the median home price in Durham County, North Carolina?
The median home price in Durham County, North Carolina is $290,354, higher than the North Carolina average of $278,288.
What is the average home price in Durham County, North Carolina?
The typical home price in Durham County, North Carolina, reported as the median sale price, is $290,354. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Durham County, North Carolina?
The median gross rent in Durham County, North Carolina is $1,507 per month, higher than the North Carolina average of $1,227.
What was the median gross rent in Durham County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Durham County, North Carolina was $1,102 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Durham County, North Carolina?
The price-to-rent ratio in Durham County, North Carolina is about 16.1, meaning it would take roughly 16.1 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Durham County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Durham County, North Carolina?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Durham County, up about 9.4% and 6.4% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Durham County, North Carolina?
51.5% of households in Durham County, North Carolina own their home, lower than the North Carolina average of 58.3%.
What is the vacancy rate in Durham County, North Carolina?
The housing vacancy rate in Durham County, North Carolina is 7.3%, lower than the North Carolina average of 12.5%.
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