Population 321,289 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Durham: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Durham
Household size in Durham
| Period | Durham | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.37 | 2.40 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.41 | 2.44 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.40 | 2.43 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.36 | 2.40 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | +0.00 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Durham is a place of small households, averaging 2.36 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. The Chapel Hill area as a whole looks much the same. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the northeast.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Durham
| Period | Durham | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.4 | 36.9 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.8 | 37.7 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.4 | 39.2 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.4 | 39.9 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.0 | +2.9 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Durham is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 38.4, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 35.4 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the northwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Durham
| Period | Durham | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.1% | 12.0% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.2% | 12.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.2% | 11.0% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.5% | 10.2% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in Durham (11.5%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in the wider Chapel Hill area (10.2%). Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 2.5 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Durham
Renters in Durham
| Period | Durham | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.0% | 38.7% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 45.3% | 39.8% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 45.3% | 39.3% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 43.7% | 37.8% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −0.9 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is more common in Durham than nationally: 43.7% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. About a third of owners (32.5%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the northeast. Only 20 of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Durham
| Period | Durham | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 11.2% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 9.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.2% | 9.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.4% | 9.2% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Durham as nationally: 8.4%, against 9.6%. Vacancy has fallen 3.0 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Durham
| Period | Durham | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1983 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1985 | 1986 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1990 | 1991 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +8 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Durham is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1990, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1982 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Durham
| Period | Durham | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $929 | $889 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $985 | $951 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,127 | $1,102 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,548 | $1,501 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$619 | +$612 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Durham runs $1,548 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $619 a month from 2006–10, a 67% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 30.3% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the center; the highest are in the southeast.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Durham
Bachelor's degrees in Durham
| Period | Durham | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.4% | 43.7% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 44.9% | 45.7% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 48.2% | 48.5% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 54.6% | 53.9% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.2 pts | +10.2 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Durham is highly educated: more than half of adults 25 and older (54.6%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 12.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only 22 of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Durham
| Period | Durham | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.6% | 86.9% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.9% | 88.4% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.7% | 89.4% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.8% | 91.5% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +4.7 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Durham is close to the national rate: 90.8% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 5.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Durham
| Period | Durham | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 7.8% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 8.6% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 4.5% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 4.0% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | −3.8 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Durham than nationally: unemployment was 4.2%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 4.4 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Durham compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham | 2.36 | 38.4 | 11.5% | 43.7% | 8.4% | 1990 | $1,548 | 54.6% | 90.8% | 4.2% |
| Gorman | 2.85 | 53.1 | 3.4% | 7.0% | 10.9% | 1988 | $1,339 | 20.9% | 89.1% | 11.8% |
| Chapel Hill area | 2.40 | 39.9 | 10.2% | 37.8% | 9.2% | 1991 | $1,501 | 53.9% | 91.5% | 4.0% |
| Morrisville | 2.47 | 34.9 | 6.0% | 55.3% | 8.9% | 2008 | $1,900 | 73.3% | 96.8% | 3.1% |
| Carrboro | 2.34 | 36.2 | 6.5% | 54.5% | 7.1% | 1989 | $1,758 | 70.6% | 94.6% | 3.5% |
| North Side | 2.63 | 40.3 | 16.9% | 18.7% | 11.3% | 1998 | $1,217 | 42.6% | 87.9% | 0.8% |
| Hillsborough | 2.52 | 43.1 | 10.9% | 22.5% | 7.9% | 1996 | $1,367 | 53.4% | 90.0% | 2.6% |
| Grissom | 2.44 | 39.6 | 7.2% | 6.8% | 8.7% | 1997 | $1,380 | 42.5% | 97.1% | 4.7% |
| Efland | 3.00 | 37.8 | 21.9% | 12.6% | 16.9% | 1986 | $1,081 | 38.3% | 96.2% | 2.0% |
| Orange Grove | 2.65 | 48.2 | 4.5% | 10.8% | 22.1% | 1991 | $1,389 | 42.7% | 89.0% | 2.2% |
| Raleigh area | 2.64 | 38.4 | 9.4% | 33.4% | 7.6% | 1999 | $1,666 | 51.6% | 93.3% | 4.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Muncie, IN · Newark, NJ · Norcross, GA · New Britain, CT · New Rochelle, NY · North Hollywood, CA · New Port Richey, FL · Muskegon, MI · New Orleans, LA · Naples, FL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Durham. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.