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CITY

Durham

North Carolina · 305,561 residents (2025 est.) · 116.754 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#70Largest by populationof 4,896305,561
The short version

Durham has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $81,619. The city has grown rapidly, with population up 56% since 2000. 57% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 36%. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $392,800.

At a glance
Average income
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
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
291,467
+56%since 2000
from 187,035 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
2,496 / sq mi
+34%since 2009
from 1,861 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
35.1
+13%since 2000
from 31.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:305,561 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
121K168K214K260K307K1990201020202024Durham
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%
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
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
79
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Durham on RentDataNow
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
2009 – 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)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Mexican population · Largest Central American population
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%
Self-employed
15.8%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 17.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
58.4%
−13.6 ptssince 2009
from 72.1% 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%
−42.0 ptssince 2009
from 46.9% 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%
−72.2 ptssince 2013
from 82.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
93.7%
+10.2 ptssince 2017
from 83.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
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
Explore

Neighborhoods in Durham

Hope ValleyNeighborhoods in Durham
Drill deeper

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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.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →