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METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS

Durham Metro

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC · 4 counties · 426,493 residents · 1,758.906 sq mi
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The short version

Durham has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $42,497. Population has grown 24% since 1990. 39% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 24%. Median home value has risen by half since 1990, reaching $132,221.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 32.9
US median: 35.2
More educated
39% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
426,493
+24%since 1990
from 344,625 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Population density
242 / sq mi
+24%since 1990
from 196 / sq mi in 1990
Median age
32.9
+3%since 1990
from 31.8 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
319K396K473K550K627K1990201020202024Durham
2024602K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.3%(26,687)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 96.4%(27,132)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.2%(26,593)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 197.4%(31,700)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 2410%(42,451)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3416.9%(72,090)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4415.7%(66,837)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5413.3%(56,770)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 647.6%(32,308)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 745.3%(22,803)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 843.7%(15,797)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.2%(5,325)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$42,497
+9%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $29,721 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$23,284
+58%since 1990
from $14,702 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
13.0%
+0.8 ptssince 1990
from 12.3% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$132,221
+19%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $84,077 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$639
+12%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $435 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
59.5%
+1.5 ptssince 1990
from 58.0% in 1990
40.5% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Durham on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic68.4%(235,708)
Black29.2%(100,463)
Hispanic / Latino1.1%(3,950)
Asian1.7%(5,697)
2000
White, non-Hispanic60.2%(256,626)
Black28.6%(122,064)
Hispanic / Latino6.5%(27,801)
Asian2.9%(12,490)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin
Mexican6.4%(38,607)
Central American3.8%(22,759)
Honduran1.7%(10,276)
South American1.2%(7,141)
Salvadoran1%(5,953)
Puerto Rican0.9%(5,179)
Guatemalan0.8%(5,008)
Colombian0.5%(3,031)
Cuban0.4%(2,397)
Spaniard0.2%(1,316)
Venezuelan0.2%(1,243)
Dominican0.2%(970)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.2%(967)
Nicaraguan0.1%(794)
Ecuadorian0.1%(740)
Costa Rican0.1%(540)
Peruvian0.1%(526)
Chilean0.1%(402)
Panamanian0%(181)
Bolivian0%(99)
Uruguayan0%(59)
Asian origin
Chinese1.6%(8,965)
Asian Indian1.5%(8,529)
Filipino0.4%(2,575)
Korean0.4%(2,169)
Vietnamese0.3%(1,667)
Japanese0.2%(1,208)
Burmese0.2%(1,037)
Taiwanese0.2%(886)
Pakistani0.1%(763)
Thai0.1%(473)
Nepalese0.1%(382)
Hmong0%(196)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Sri Lankan0%(135)
Cambodian0%(133)
Kazakh0%(131)
Malaysian0%(31)
Laotian0%(9)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(184)
Chamorro0%(97)
Tongan0%(29)
Guamanian0%(26)
Ancestry
English13%(78,393)
German9.3%(55,980)
Irish8.5%(51,174)
American4.7%(28,514)
Italian3.9%(23,514)
Scottish2.6%(15,520)
Polish2%(11,759)
French1.6%(9,468)
Scotch-Irish1.5%(9,280)
Swedish0.8%(5,098)
Dutch0.8%(5,022)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.7%(4,384)
Norwegian0.7%(4,090)
West Indian0.7%(4,006)
British0.7%(3,985)
Russian0.6%(3,694)
Arab0.5%(3,205)
Nigerian0.5%(2,433)
French Canadian0.4%(2,190)
Hungarian0.4%(2,188)
Jamaican0.4%(2,047)
Ukrainian0.3%(1,972)
Lithuanian0.3%(1,730)
Greek0.3%(1,705)
Danish0.3%(1,669)
Czech0.3%(1,631)
Ethiopian0.3%(1,464)
Austrian0.3%(1,454)
Swiss0.2%(1,337)
Portuguese0.2%(1,265)
Canadian0.2%(1,109)
Iranian0.2%(937)
Romanian0.2%(922)
Ghanaian0.2%(922)
Slovak0.1%(852)
Lebanese0.1%(795)
Brazilian0.1%(738)
Haitian0.1%(697)
Finnish0.1%(687)
Egyptian0.1%(677)
Serbian0.1%(643)
Belgian0.1%(613)
Turkish0.1%(586)
Armenian0.1%(431)
Croatian0.1%(431)
Kenyan0.1%(379)
Iraqi0.1%(343)
Syrian0.1%(310)
Slovene0%(281)
Guyanese0%(219)
Israeli0%(219)
Latvian0%(188)
Barbadian0%(165)
Australian0%(135)
Moroccan0%(98)
Bulgarian0%(69)
Somali0%(61)
Jordanian0%(31)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Mexican population · Largest American population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
39.3%
+6.3 ptssince 1990
from 33.0% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
83.0%
+5.2 ptssince 1990
from 77.8% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
18.2%
+3.2 ptssince 1990
from 15.0% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
14.8 min
−21%since 1990
from 18.7 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married35.7%(58,379)
Married54.9%(89,805)
Widowed2.3%(3,744)
Divorced7.1%(11,684)
Women 15+
Never married32.4%(59,071)
Married48.6%(88,719)
Widowed9.1%(16,680)
Divorced9.9%(18,057)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
In this metro

Largest cities

DurhamCENTRAL305,561Chapel HillCENTRAL63,565Morrisville32,466Carrboro20,962Hillsborough9,778Roxboro8,380Siler City8,155Briar Chapel6,049Pittsboro5,054Fearrington2,356Governors2,295Governors Club1,787Efland1,611Gorman1,591Moncure1,039Rougemont703Carolina Meadows555Goldston268Bennett262Gulf178
What's inside

4 component counties

Durham CountyCENTRAL347,240Orange CountyCENTRAL152,498Chatham CountyCENTRAL85,111Person County40,636
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Durham

Fayetteville
Pop 622,177
Harrisburg
Pop 617,427
Reno
Pop 578,734
Huntsville
Pop 556,444
Places similar to Durham
Head to head

Compare Durham side by side

DURHAM VS
Fayetteville
Income$82,242+94%
Home value$307,983+133%
Population622,177−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DURHAM VS
Harrisburg
Income$81,484+92%
Home value$254,698+93%
Population617,427−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DURHAM VS
Reno
Income$87,337+106%
Home value$520,025+293%
Population578,734−7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DURHAM VS
Huntsville
Income$85,881+102%
Home value$295,284+123%
Population556,444−11%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC has about 426,493 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

The typical household in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC earns about $42,497 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Durham-Chapel Hill, NC expensive?

In Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, the median home is worth about $132,221, and the typical rent is about $639 a month.

How educated are people in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

About 39.3% of adults age 25 and over in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

About 13.0% of people in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC live below the federal poverty line.

Has Durham-Chapel Hill, NC grown since 1990?

Yes, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC has grown since 1990. The population has added about 81,868 residents, a change of about 24 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →