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METRO AREA · 2010 ACS

Durham Metro

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC · 4 counties · 504,357 residents · 1,759 sq mi
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The short version

Durham is a metro area of 504,357 people. This is an unusually credentialed place: 43% of adults have a four-year degree. The population is up 18% since 2000. The typical home is worth $195,570. Households earn $51,078 at the median, near the US median.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $52,703
Younger
median age 35.1
US median: 37.2
More educated
43% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
504,357
+18%since 2000
from 426,493 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
287 / sq mi
+18%since 2000
from 242 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
35.1
+7%since 2000
from 32.9 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
1,759 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
319K396K473K550K627K19902000201020202024Durham
2024602K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 56.5%(32,991)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 96.2%(31,113)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 145.8%(29,285)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 197.2%(36,446)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 248.9%(44,948)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3415.3%(77,072)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4413.6%(68,685)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5413.7%(68,849)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6411.6%(58,338)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 746.2%(31,200)
US avg: 7%
75 to 843.5%(17,635)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over1.5%(7,795)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$51,078
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,497 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$28,809
+24%since 2000
from $23,284 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
33.5%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 32.5% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
15.7%
+2.6 ptssince 2000
from 13.0% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.471
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information8.7%
US avg: 11.5%
Retail trade8%
US avg: 10.9%
Wholesale trade6.9%
US avg: 7.2%
Other services5.4%
US avg: 7%
Public administration3.6%
US avg: 4.9%
Finance & insurance2.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Arts, entertainment, food2.4%
US avg: 2.4%
Professional, scientific, technical2.1%
US avg: 4.2%
Transportation & warehousing1.9%
US avg: 3.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction0.9%
US avg: 1.4%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$195,570
+17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $132,221 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$776
−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $639 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
60.1%
+0.6 ptssince 2000
from 59.5% in 2000
39.9% rent
Vacancy rate
10.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 10.0% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.37 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.38 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
25.6%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 26.0% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
46.4%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 46.1% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
3.8
+2%since 2009
from 3.7 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic60.2%(256,626)
Black28.6%(122,064)
Hispanic / Latino6.5%(27,801)
Asian2.9%(12,490)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic55.3%(278,907)
Black26.7%(134,853)
Hispanic / Latino11.3%(56,915)
Asian4.4%(21,985)
Other2.4%(11,940)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican6.6%(32,434)
Central American2.1%(10,257)
Honduran1%(4,359)
Salvadoran0.6%(3,101)
South American0.6%(2,602)
Puerto Rican0.5%(2,575)
Guatemalan0.5%(2,314)
Colombian0.2%(1,073)
Cuban0.2%(824)
Spaniard0.1%(607)
Dominican0.1%(504)
Venezuelan0.1%(400)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0.1%(359)
Peruvian0.1%(321)
Panamanian0.1%(282)
Argentine0%(198)
Chilean0%(112)
Bolivian0%(107)
Ancestry
English12.2%(59,454)
German11%(53,546)
Irish9%(43,974)
American6.3%(30,858)
Scotch-Irish3.8%(18,754)
Italian3%(14,688)
Scottish2.8%(13,829)
Polish2%(9,692)
French1.9%(9,409)
Dutch1.2%(5,644)
Russian0.9%(4,581)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
British0.8%(4,136)
Swedish0.8%(3,689)
Welsh0.7%(3,500)
West Indian0.7%(3,062)
Norwegian0.6%(3,041)
French Canadian0.4%(1,927)
Hungarian0.4%(1,738)
Greek0.3%(1,589)
Canadian0.3%(1,536)
Ukrainian0.3%(1,508)
Arab0.3%(1,472)
Swiss0.3%(1,433)
Czech0.3%(1,319)
Jamaican0.3%(1,316)
Danish0.2%(1,104)
Austrian0.2%(1,019)
Lithuanian0.2%(1,009)
Nigerian0.2%(827)
Romanian0.2%(716)
Portuguese0.1%(680)
Slovak0.1%(641)
Haitian0.1%(575)
Finnish0.1%(517)
Lebanese0.1%(500)
Armenian0.1%(454)
Belgian0.1%(413)
Turkish0.1%(397)
Croatian0.1%(367)
Ethiopian0.1%(331)
Bulgarian0.1%(281)
Iranian0.1%(270)
Israeli0.1%(253)
Australian0.1%(227)
Latvian0.1%(227)
Egyptian0%(197)
Kenyan0%(171)
Ghanaian0%(170)
Slovene0%(159)
Guyanese0%(157)
Syrian0%(132)
Serbian0%(126)
Moroccan0%(124)
Brazilian0%(91)
Iraqi0%(48)
Jordanian0%(24)
Barbadian0%(14)
Somali0%(11)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
43.3%
+4.0 ptssince 2000
from 39.3% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
86.6%
+3.6 ptssince 2000
from 83.0% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
20.2%
+2.0 ptssince 2000
from 18.2% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.9 min
+55%since 2000
from 14.8 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
73.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 74.1% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
12.9%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 12.9% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
3.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
4.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
3.3%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.7%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
7.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 7.2% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
17.3%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 17.5% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
46.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 46.1% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
47.9%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 48.3% in 2009
Female
52.1%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 51.7% in 2009
Foreign born
12.4%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 11.6% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
8.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 8.1% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married39.2%(93,931)
Married50.6%(121,076)
Widowed2.1%(5,078)
Divorced8.1%(19,340)
Women 15+
Never married37.5%(99,272)
Married45.3%(120,032)
Widowed6.8%(18,042)
Divorced10.4%(27,417)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
9.5%
−5.4 ptssince 2013
from 14.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
60.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 59.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 15.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
17.3%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 16.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
13.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 14.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
72.8%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 72.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
29.8%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 28.9% 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)23.7%(6,259)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)26.7%(7,045)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era32.8%(8,656)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.1%(1,340)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.7%(185)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 26,380 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
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+61%
Home value$307,983+57%
Population622,177−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DURHAM VS
Harrisburg
Income$81,484+60%
Home value$254,698+30%
Population617,427−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DURHAM VS
Reno
Income$87,337+71%
Home value$520,025+166%
Population578,734−7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DURHAM VS
Huntsville
Income$85,881+68%
Home value$295,284+51%
Population556,444−11%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

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

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC has about 504,357 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC earns about $51,078 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 $195,570, and the typical rent is about $776 a month.

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

About 43.3% 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 15.7% 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 159,732 residents, a change of about 46 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 →