CensusEasy
CensusEasy
CITY

Durham

North Carolina · 305,561 residents (2025 est.) · 117 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Durham metro area
The short version

Durham is home to 291,467 people in North Carolina. This is an unusually credentialed place: 57% of adults have a four-year degree. The population has risen by half since 2000, adding 104,432 people. 52% of homes are owner-occupied. This skews young, with a median age of 35.1. Density works out to 2,496 people per square mile.

At a glance
Average income
median household income $81,619, near the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.1
US median: 38.9
More educated
57% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 72%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Durham

What changed most since 1990

  • Population136,594 → 291,467 (+113%)US over the same years: +35%
  • Black share45.6% → 33.2% (−12.3 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
  • Median home value (2024 dollars)$192,006 → $392,800 (+105%)US over the same years: +67%

Among the 20 cities and towns in the Durham metro

  • 12th in household income$81,619
  • 10th in share with a bachelor's degree57.3%
  • 10th in home value$392,800
  • 1st in diversity score87.2
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
291,467
+56%since 2000
from 187,035 in 2000
305,561 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
2,496 / sq mi
+56%since 2000
from 1,602 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
35.1
+13%since 2000
from 31.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
117 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
121K168K214K260K307K19902000201020202024Durham
2024291K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.1%(17,889)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.2%(15,205)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.5%(16,119)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.4%(18,561)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.4%(21,561)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3419.2%(56,010)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.4%(41,918)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.5%(33,519)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.7%(31,243)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.4%(24,459)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.8%(11,087)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.3%(3,896)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$81,619
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $41,160 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$49,636
+120%since 2000
from $22,526 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
54.5%
+25.8 ptssince 2009
from 28.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
11.7%
−3.3 ptssince 2000
from 15.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.461
−1%since 2010
from 0.464 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information7.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade7.2%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services6.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade5.5%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration4.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance3.2%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.8%
US avg: 5.1%
Arts, entertainment, food1.8%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$392,800
+72%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $125,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,508
+26%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $657 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
52.3%
+3.4 ptssince 2000
from 48.9% in 2000
47.7% rent
Vacancy rate
7.5%
−3.7 ptssince 2009
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.21 people
−4%since 2009
from 2.31 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
17.4%
−10.9 ptssince 2009
from 28.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
46.3%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 45.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.8
+32%since 2009
from 3.7 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
79
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic42.4%(79,277)
Black43.5%(81,370)
Hispanic / Latino8.6%(16,012)
Asian3.6%(6,782)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic40.3%(117,487)
Black33.2%(96,808)
Hispanic / Latino15.2%(44,260)
Asian5.8%(16,949)
Other5.5%(15,963)
Diversity Score
87
+7%since 2009
from 82 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican6.7%(19,568)
Central American5.1%(14,738)
Honduran2.7%(7,983)
Salvadoran1.3%(3,812)
South American1.1%(3,297)
Puerto Rican1%(2,953)
Guatemalan0.7%(2,154)
Cuban0.5%(1,520)
Colombian0.5%(1,490)
Dominican0.2%(537)
Venezuelan0.2%(498)
Spaniard0.1%(424)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Costa Rican0.1%(421)
Ecuadorian0.1%(401)
Nicaraguan0.1%(352)
Argentine0.1%(338)
Peruvian0.1%(298)
Chilean0.1%(172)
Bolivian0%(63)
Uruguayan0%(37)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.5%(4,487)
Chinese1.5%(4,418)
Filipino0.6%(1,790)
Vietnamese0.4%(1,154)
Korean0.3%(870)
Pakistani0.2%(639)
Taiwanese0.2%(544)
Japanese0.2%(498)
Thai0.1%(428)
Burmese0.1%(360)
Nepalese0.1%(357)
Kazakh0%(131)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(83)
Tongan0%(29)
Guamanian0%(14)
Ancestry
English10.6%(30,871)
German8.1%(23,675)
Irish7.2%(21,056)
Italian3.7%(10,701)
American3.6%(10,503)
Scottish2%(5,921)
Polish1.9%(5,488)
French1.5%(4,392)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(3,093)
West Indian1%(2,956)
Swedish0.8%(2,450)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Nigerian0.7%(2,122)
Norwegian0.7%(2,034)
British0.7%(1,963)
Dutch0.6%(1,838)
Arab0.6%(1,756)
Welsh0.6%(1,748)
Jamaican0.6%(1,679)
Russian0.5%(1,474)
Ethiopian0.4%(1,225)
French Canadian0.4%(1,142)
Czech0.3%(962)
Greek0.3%(882)
Lithuanian0.3%(760)
Ukrainian0.3%(758)
Hungarian0.2%(700)
Danish0.2%(695)
Canadian0.2%(657)
Swiss0.2%(613)
Austrian0.2%(600)
Portuguese0.2%(482)
Haitian0.2%(449)
Brazilian0.2%(442)
Ghanaian0.1%(412)
Egyptian0.1%(411)
Slovak0.1%(404)
Romanian0.1%(384)
Armenian0.1%(372)
Lebanese0.1%(327)
Finnish0.1%(318)
Iraqi0.1%(308)
Iranian0.1%(272)
Syrian0.1%(238)
Kenyan0.1%(212)
Guyanese0.1%(210)
Belgian0.1%(207)
Serbian0.1%(206)
Croatian0.1%(189)
Israeli0.1%(146)
Turkish0%(145)
Moroccan0%(92)
Slovene0%(91)
Somali0%(61)
Latvian0%(37)
Bulgarian0%(35)
Jordanian0%(31)
Barbadian0%(30)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
57.3%
+15.5 ptssince 2000
from 41.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.1%
+9.5 ptssince 2000
from 82.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
27.1%
+8.8 ptssince 2000
from 18.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.3 min
+74%since 2000
from 12.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
62.2%
−11.2 ptssince 2009
from 73.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.2%
−6.4 ptssince 2009
from 14.6% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.9%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 3.7% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
23.3%
+19.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.2%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.6%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
7.2%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 8.8% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.8%
−4.5 ptssince 2011
from 8.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
69.2%
Unchangedsince 2011
from 69.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
81.1%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 79.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.8%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 17.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
58.4%
+10.5 ptssince 2009
from 48.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
47.1%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 47.9% in 2009
Female
52.9%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 52.1% in 2009
Foreign born
15.4%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 14.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.9%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 7.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
10.5%
+0.1 ptssince 2012
from 10.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
10.7%
−6.4 ptssince 2013
from 17.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
93.7%
+10.2 ptssince 2017
from 83.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.4%
+3.2 ptssince 2020
from 94.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
82.4%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 80.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
79.1%
−0.9 ptssince 2016
from 79.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
12.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2016
from 12.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married43.5%(49,008)
Married46.8%(52,749)
Widowed1.5%(1,696)
Divorced8.2%(9,212)
Women 15+
Never married42.7%(55,344)
Married40.1%(51,976)
Widowed5.7%(7,438)
Divorced11.4%(14,831)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
10.7%
−6.4 ptssince 2013
from 17.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
60.4%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 58.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.2%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 12.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
14.2%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 12.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
15.5%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 16.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.7%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 1.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
71.2%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 69.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
28.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 27.9% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)27.1%(3,057)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)27.1%(3,061)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era24.8%(2,802)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.1%(355)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.3%(144)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 11,287 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Durham, decade by decade

Durham population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990136,594$65,416$192,00635.4%66.6
2000187,035$74,979$228,80041.8%77.8
2010228,330$67,573$254,05245.6%83.7
2020283,506$75,100$294,52551.2%86.9
2024291,467$81,619$392,80057.3%87.2

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Explore

Neighborhoods in Durham

Hope ValleyNeighborhoods in Durham
Drill deeper

Places similar to Durham

North Las Vegas
Pop 296,653
Reno
Pop 283,621
Madison
Pop 286,233
Port St. Lucie
Pop 268,062
Places similar to Durham
Head to head

Compare Durham to nearby cities

DURHAM VS
Chapel Hill
Income$85,989+5%
Home value$613,700+56%
Population63,565−79%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DURHAM VS
Morrisville
Income$125,396+54%
Home value$518,800+32%
Population32,466−89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DURHAM VS
Carrboro
Income$85,743+5%
Home value$539,400+37%
Population20,962−93%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DURHAM VS
Hillsborough
Income$98,163+20%
Home value$460,100+17%
Population9,778−97%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Durham, North Carolina?

Durham, North Carolina has about 291,467 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Durham, North Carolina?

The typical household in Durham, North Carolina earns about $81,619 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Durham, North Carolina expensive?

In Durham, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $392,800, and the typical rent is about $1,508 a month.

How educated are people in Durham, North Carolina?

About 57.3% of adults age 25 and over in Durham, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Durham, North Carolina?

About 11.7% of people in Durham, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Durham, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Durham, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 154,873 residents, a change of about 113 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

Up the hierarchy
North Carolina

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →