Durham, NC

Census Place

Add Comparison

2024 Population

291,467

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

35.1

0.862% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

11.7%

4.27% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$81,619

3.01% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$392,800

10.6% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

159,046

1.81% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Durham, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

90.4% of the residents in Durham, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Durham, NC are Duke University (7,761 degrees awarded in 2024), North Carolina Central University (1,559 degrees), and Durham Technical Community College (870 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Durham, NC was $392,800, and the homeownership rate was 52.3%.

Most people in Durham, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Durham, NC was 2 cars per household.

About the photo: Durham, NC

Photo by Geoff Alexander

United States North Carolina Durham County, NC Wake County, NC Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Raleigh, NC

Population & Diversity

Durham, NC is home to a population of 291k people, from which 90.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 15.4% of Durham, NC residents were born outside of the country (44.8k people).

In 2024, there were 1.21 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (117k people) in Durham, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 96.8k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 22.6k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

90.4%

2024 Citizenship

90.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 90.4% of Durham, NC residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Durham, NC was 90.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Durham, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Durham, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
117k ± 1.8k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
96.8k ± 2.03k
Other (Hispanic)
22.6k ± 1.67k

15.2%

Hispanic Population

44.3k people

15.2% of the people in Durham, NC are hispanic (44.3k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Durham, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
228,441 ± 11,609 people
India
90,815 ± 7,367 people
Honduras
52,061 ± 5,588 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 228,441 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 90,815 and Honduras with 52,061.

Foreign-Born Population

15.4%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

44.8k people

15.3%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

44k people

As of 2024, 15.4% of Durham, NC residents (44.8k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Durham, NC was 15.3%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Durham, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
3,057 ± 494
Vietnam
2,699 ± 376
Gulf War (1990s)
2,341 ± 519

Durham, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.13 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Durham, NC.

Health

89.3% of the population of Durham, NC has health coverage, with 53.5% on employee plans, 13.3% on Medicaid, 9.87% on Medicare, 11.5% on non-group plans, and 1.05% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see 1,413 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1634 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 299 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47% were men and 53% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.9% under 18 years, 28.2% between 18 and 34 years, 36.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 13.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47% were men and 53% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

10.7%

Uninsured

53.5%

Employer Coverage

13.3%

Medicaid

9.87%

Medicare

11.5%

Non-Group

1.05%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Durham, NC declined by 7.54% from 11.6% to 10.7%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Durham, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Economy

The economy of Durham, NC employs 159k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Durham, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (28,652 people), Educational Services (25,913 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (21,364 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($97,007), Finance & Insurance ($91,918), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($90,755).

Employment

Occupations

159k

2024 Value

± 3,888

1.81%

1 Year growth

± 3.4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Durham, NC grew at a rate of 1.81%, from 156k employees to 159k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Durham, NC, are Management Occupations (20,721 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (13,910 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (13,474 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Durham, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

159k

2024 Value

± 3,888

1.81%

1 Year growth

± 3.4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Durham, NC grew at a rate of 1.81%, from 156k employees to 159k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Durham, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (28,652 people), Educational Services (25,913 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (21,364 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Durham, NC, though some of these residents may live in Durham, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$58,972

Median earning men ± $2,636

$51,748

Median earning women ± $2,030

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($92,340), Information ($92,031), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($83,420).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($75,278), Wholesale Trade ($75,265), and Information ($70,224).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in North Carolina went to Donald J. Trump with 50.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (47.6%), followed by Other (0.675%).

Thom Tillis and Ted Budd are the senators currently representing the state of North Carolina. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

North Carolina is currently represented by 14 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Durham, NC. Showing the available data for North Carolina.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (50.9%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (47.6%)
Democratic Party
Other (0.675%)
Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in North Carolina went to Donald J. Trump with 50.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (47.6%), followed by Other (0.675%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in North Carolina for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from North Carolina

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Thom Tillis

Senator from North Carolina

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Ted Budd

Senator from North Carolina

Assumed office on January 3, 2023

Thom Tillis and Ted Budd are the senators currently representing North Carolina.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in North Carolina over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Durham, NC awarded 10,271 degrees. The student population of Durham, NC in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 12,186 male students and 19,214 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Durham, NC are White (3,408 and 44%), Black or African American (1,791 and 23.1%), Asian (1,065 and 13.7%), and Hispanic or Latino (828 and 10.7%).

The largest universities in Durham, NC by number of degrees awarded are Duke University (7,761 and 75.6%), North Carolina Central University (1,559 and 15.2%), and Durham Technical Community College (870 and 8.47%).

The most popular majors in Durham, NC are Other Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods (1,078 and 10.5%), Computer Science (484 and 4.71%), and General Business Administration & Management (432 and 4.21%).

The median tuition costs are $43,443 for private four year colleges, and $3,728 and $16,764 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Durham, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 27%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 18.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 31,400 (38.8% men and 61.2% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 31,400 students enrolled in Durham, NC, 38.8% men and 61.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Black or African American with 9,508 records, of which 70.6% were women and 29.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Other Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods
1,062 degrees awarded
Engineering & Industrial Management
298 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
265 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Masters Degree recipients in Durham, NC was Other Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods with 1,062 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Masters Degree from schools in Durham, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Duke University
7,761 degrees awarded
North Carolina Central University
1,559 degrees awarded
Durham Technical Community College
870 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Duke University with 7,761 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 4,294 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Durham, NC, which is 0.718 times less than the 5,977 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 3,408 degrees mean that there were 1.9 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 1,791 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($43,443) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,971) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,602) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Durham, NC was $392,800 in 2024, which is 1.18 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $355,300 to $392,800, a 10.6% increase. The homeownership rate in Durham, NC is 52.3%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Durham, NC have an average commute time of 22.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Durham, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$392,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,855

$66,203

Median Property Taxes

±$2,050

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Durham, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Durham, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

52.3%

Homeownership

2024

67.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 52.3% of the housing units in Durham, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 51.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Durham, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$81,619

Median Household Income

± $2,203

127k

Number of Households

± 3,339

In 2024, the median household income of the 127k households in Durham, NC grew to $81,619 from the previous year's value of $79,234.

The following chart displays the households in Durham, NC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Durham, NC is from North Carolina.

0.466

2024 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.467

2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2024, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.466 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.16% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (62.2%)
Worked At Home (23.3%)
Carpooled (8.25%)

In 2024, 62.2% of workers in Durham, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (23.3%) and those who carpooled to work (8.25%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

22.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Durham, NC have a shorter commute time (22.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.39% of the workforce in Durham, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Durham, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Durham, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Durham, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

11.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Durham, NC (32.8k out of 281k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Durham, NC is Black, followed by Hispanic and White.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.