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CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Durham

North Carolina · 136,594 residents · 117 sq mi
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The short version

Durham is a city of 136,594 people in North Carolina. 44% of homes are owner-occupied. This is an unusually credentialed place: 35% of adults have a four-year degree. The population has fallen 27% since 2000. Getting to work takes 16 minutes on average. The typical home is worth $80,000.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Younger
median age 30.8
US median: 33.0
More educated
35% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 16%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
136,594
−27%vs 2000
vs 187,035 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
30.8
−1%vs 2000
vs 31.0 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
117 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
121K168K214K260K307K19902000201020202024Durham
2024291K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 57.3%(9,938)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 96%(8,251)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 145.6%(7,623)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197.5%(10,256)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 2410.6%(14,428)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3421.9%(29,924)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4415.1%(20,615)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 548.2%(11,259)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 646.6%(8,954)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 746.1%(8,308)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 843.9%(5,334)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.2%(1,704)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$27,256
−13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $41,160 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$14,498
−36%vs 2000
vs $22,526 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
14.9%
−0.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 15.0% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$80,000
−16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $125,600 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$440
−12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $657 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
44.2%
−4.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 48.9% in 2000
55.8% rent
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%
1990
White, non-Hispanic51.6%(70,513)
Black45.7%(62,393)
Hispanic / Latino1.3%(1,713)
Asian2%(2,676)
Other0.7%(1,012)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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
35.4%
−6.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 41.8% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
78.5%
−4.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 82.6% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
15.8%
−2.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 18.3% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
16.2 min
+26%vs 2000
vs 12.8 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

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
Explore

Neighborhoods in Durham

Hope ValleyNeighborhoods in Durham
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Head to head

Compare Durham to nearby cities

DURHAM VS
Chapel Hill
Income$85,989+215%
Home value$613,700+667%
Population63,565−79%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DURHAM VS
Morrisville
Income$125,396+360%
Home value$518,800+549%
Population32,466−89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DURHAM VS
Carrboro
Income$85,743+215%
Home value$539,400+574%
Population20,962−93%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DURHAM VS
Hillsborough
Income$98,163+260%
Home value$460,100+475%
Population9,778−97%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Durham, North Carolina?

Durham, North Carolina has about 136,594 residents according to the 1990 Census.

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

The typical household in Durham, North Carolina earns about $27,256 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 $80,000, and the typical rent is about $440 a month.

How educated are people in Durham, North Carolina?

About 35.4% 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 14.9% of people in Durham, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →