Durham County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Durham County, 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 averageHealthier than 88% of counties in North Carolina
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 92% of counties in North Carolina
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A+
Education Top gradeAmong the top 3 best educated counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Durham County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 331,707 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1113.5 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.49% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.9 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 141,477 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Durham County grew by 29.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 331,707 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Durham County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 25.6% of residents. That is 4.2 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 79,030 23.8% +2.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 84,917 25.6% +4.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 64,291 19.4% -1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 44,847 13.5% -3.5 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 51.8% of the people living in Durham County and men 48.2%.
- Women 51.8% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 48.2% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Durham County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Durham County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Durham County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $84,826 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.65% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Durham County is about 17% higher than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Durham County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $290,354 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,507 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 55.5% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Durham County is about 16.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,507 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Durham County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 172 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Durham County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.6 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.2 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 172 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,325 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 22.9% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 15,829 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,725 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
North Carolina:
Macon County (17.2 min), Watauga County (17.2 min), Dare County (17.4 min).
Slowest:
Gates County (35.9 min), Currituck County (33.9 min), Tyrrell County (33.6 min).
The average commute time in Durham County is 21 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 County has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Durham County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.8% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.24 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.5), Wake County (0.4), Durham County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hyde County (0.2), Greene County (0.2), Tyrrell County (0.2).
Health
Durham County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Durham County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.5 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.7% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.3% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.8), Wake County (0.8), Watauga County (0.8).
Lowest:
Robeson County (0.8), Lenoir County (0.8), Halifax County (0.8).
Durham County, NC 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 commute: 20.6 min, 23% below the local median of 26.7 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 9.1 min on commute, so Durham County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Durham County, NC has the lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham County, NC | 331,707 | $84,826 #4/6 | $290,354 #3/6 | 20.6 min #1/6 |
| Orange County, NC | 149,658 | $88,923 | $271,999 | 21.4 min |
| Wake County, NC | 1,178,613 | $105,784 | $429,483 | 22.9 min |
| Granville County, NC | 60,874 | $71,064 | $113,314 | 30.5 min |
| Person County, NC | 39,541 | $64,160 | $2,026,786 | 28.3 min |
| Chatham County, NC | 80,150 | $93,685 | $194,860 | 26.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Durham County, North Carolina.
How many people live in Durham County, North Carolina?
About 331,707 people live in Durham County, North Carolina, in 141,477 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 36.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Durham County, North Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Durham County, North Carolina has 1,114 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 13 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Durham County, North Carolina an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.4 times the median household income ($290,354 against $84,826), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,507 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Durham County, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Durham County, North Carolina is only 3.9%, 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 County, North Carolina?
47.8% of adults in Durham County, 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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