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COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Durham County

North Carolina · 181,835 residents · 288 sq mi
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The short version

With 181,835 people, Durham County is a county in North Carolina. 33% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 20% nationally. 53% of homes are owner-occupied. There are 41,479 fewer people here than in 2000. That is roughly 15% ahead of the North Carolina median. Median home value sits at $84,900.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 31.8
US median: 33.0
More educated
33% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 13%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

181,835
−19%vs 2000
vs 223,314 in 2000
1990 – 2025
31.8
−1%vs 2000
vs 32.2 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
288 sq mi
Population, 19902024
167K212K257K302K347K19902000201020202024Durham County
2024332K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 57.1%(12,923)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 96.3%(11,505)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 145.9%(10,778)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197.4%(13,414)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 249.2%(16,706)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3420.6%(37,406)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4416.1%(29,279)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 549.6%(17,545)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 647.1%(12,869)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 746%(10,861)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 843.6%(6,522)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.1%(2,027)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$30,526
−7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $43,337 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
$15,030
−35%vs 2000
vs $23,156 in 2000
US average: $14,340
11.9%
−1.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 13.4% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

$84,900
−13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $128,300 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
$444
−11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $658 in 2000
US average: $450
53.0%
−1.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 54.3% in 2000
47.0% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic48.1%(107,371)
Black39.2%(87,516)
Hispanic / Latino7.6%(17,039)
Asian3.3%(7,311)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic60.3%(109,724)
Black37.2%(67,598)
Hispanic / Latino1.2%(2,108)
Asian1.8%(3,284)
Other0.7%(1,229)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin
Mexican7.2%(23,958)
Central American5.1%(16,840)
Honduran2.6%(8,661)
Salvadoran1.4%(4,541)
South American1.2%(3,959)
Puerto Rican0.9%(3,140)
Guatemalan0.8%(2,706)
Colombian0.6%(1,833)
Cuban0.5%(1,651)
Venezuelan0.2%(688)
Spaniard0.2%(665)
Dominican0.2%(637)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Costa Rican0.1%(421)
Ecuadorian0.1%(406)
Nicaraguan0.1%(396)
Argentine0.1%(387)
Peruvian0.1%(361)
Chilean0.1%(184)
Panamanian0%(108)
Bolivian0%(63)
Uruguayan0%(37)
Asian origin
Chinese1.5%(4,987)
Asian Indian1.4%(4,639)
Filipino0.6%(1,880)
Vietnamese0.3%(1,154)
Korean0.3%(877)
Pakistani0.2%(639)
Taiwanese0.2%(544)
Japanese0.2%(518)
Thai0.1%(428)
Nepalese0.1%(382)
Burmese0.1%(360)
Hmong0.1%(183)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(83)
Tongan0%(29)
Guamanian0%(14)
Ancestry
English11%(36,626)
German8.2%(27,169)
Irish7.2%(23,965)
American4%(13,171)
Italian3.6%(11,799)
Scottish2.1%(6,821)
Polish1.8%(5,920)
French1.5%(4,835)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(3,745)
West Indian0.9%(3,055)
Swedish0.8%(2,573)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Nigerian0.7%(2,191)
British0.6%(2,085)
Dutch0.6%(2,075)
Norwegian0.6%(2,071)
Welsh0.6%(2,059)
Arab0.5%(1,813)
Jamaican0.5%(1,715)
Russian0.5%(1,573)
Ethiopian0.4%(1,384)
Lithuanian0.4%(1,301)
French Canadian0.4%(1,195)
Czech0.3%(1,015)
Hungarian0.3%(987)
Greek0.3%(926)
Ukrainian0.3%(885)
Danish0.2%(818)
Canadian0.2%(699)
Swiss0.2%(656)
Austrian0.2%(646)
Portuguese0.2%(606)
Ghanaian0.2%(519)
Brazilian0.2%(509)
Haitian0.1%(490)
Romanian0.1%(436)
Slovak0.1%(432)
Egyptian0.1%(411)
Finnish0.1%(396)
Armenian0.1%(372)
Iraqi0.1%(337)
Lebanese0.1%(327)
Iranian0.1%(272)
Syrian0.1%(238)
Serbian0.1%(238)
Belgian0.1%(227)
Croatian0.1%(221)
Kenyan0.1%(212)
Guyanese0.1%(210)
Turkish0.1%(203)
Israeli0%(146)
Slovene0%(137)
Moroccan0%(92)
Latvian0%(82)
Somali0%(61)
Bulgarian0%(35)
Jordanian0%(31)
Barbadian0%(30)
Section 05

Education

33.4%
−6.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 40.1% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
78.9%
−4.0 ptsvs 2000
vs 83.0% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
14.4%
−3.0 ptsvs 2000
vs 17.4% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

17.0 min
+30%vs 2000
vs 13.1 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 married42.1%(55,176)
Married47.6%(62,471)
Widowed1.8%(2,306)
Divorced8.5%(11,183)
Women 15+
Never married40.5%(58,796)
Married42.4%(61,640)
Widowed6.1%(8,792)
Divorced11%(16,050)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

10.8%
−5.6 ptssince 2013
from 16.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
59.9%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 58.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 12.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
15.3%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 14.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
15.2%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 15.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.8%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 1.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
71.2%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 70.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
28.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 28.7% 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)28.7%(4,008)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)28.3%(3,954)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era25.6%(3,574)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.9%(407)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1%(144)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 13,951 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
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Durham County, North Carolina?

Durham County, North Carolina has about 181,835 residents according to the 1990 Census.

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

The typical household in Durham County, North Carolina earns about $30,526 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Durham County, North Carolina expensive?

In Durham County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $84,900, and the typical rent is about $444 a month.

How educated are people in Durham County, North Carolina?

About 33.4% of adults age 25 and over in Durham County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Durham County, North Carolina?

About 11.9% of people in Durham County, 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 →