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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.

Durham, NC
Real Estate & Demographic Data






Durham profile


Living in Durham



Durham is a large city located in the state of North Carolina. With a population of 296,186 people and 66 associated neighborhoods, Durham is the fourth largest community in North Carolina. Durham has seen a significant amount of newer housing growth in recent years. Quite often, new home construction is the result of new residents moving in who are middle class or wealthier, attracted by jobs, a healthy local economy, or other amenities as they leave nearby or far away areas for greener pastures. This seems to be the case in Durham, where the median household income is $79,234.00.

Durham real estate is some of the most expensive in North Carolina, although Durham house values don't compare to the most expensive real estate in the U.S.

Also of interest is that Durham has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 20.61% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Durham is a popular destination for single career-starters. One thing that you will notice when you are out and about town is that there is a large population of people who are young, single, educated, and upwardly-mobile career starters out at restaurants, listening to live music, and enjoying other activities. They are a real visible part of the culture of Durham. This makes Durham a good place to live for young professionals. With so many people in this demographic, Durham presents many opportunities for single professionals to enjoy themselves, socialize, and to create lasting relationships.

If knowledge is power, Durham is a pretty powerful place. 55.68% of the adults in Durham have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.

The per capita income in Durham in 2022 was $47,246, which is wealthy relative to North Carolina and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $188,984 for a family of four. However, Durham contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Durham is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Durham home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Durham residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Durham also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 14.72% of the city’s residents. Important ancestries of people in Durham include English, German, Irish, Italian, and Scottish.

Foreign born people are also an important part of Durham's cultural character, accounting for 15.32% of the city’s population.

The most common language spoken in Durham is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Chinese.