Latest Census city estimates released May 14, 2026 · Population as of July 1, 2025 · Next city estimates scheduled for May 2027. Release schedule
Durham, North Carolina population is 305,561 as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate), ranking #70 nationally and #4 in North Carolina. Cost of living runs 2.4% below the U.S. average (BEA RPP 2024); the four-person spending scenario corresponds to modeled gross income of $109,365/yr (TY2026 tax assumptions; partial scenario excluding unverified local income tax). This profile draws on 13 federal datasets covering population, housing, income, employment, climate, and risk.
305,561 people live in Durham as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025), the #70 largest U.S. city.
How big is Durham?
Durham covers 119.9 square miles of land and 0.8 square miles of water. Its population density is about 2,548 residents per square mile of land. Compare U.S. cities by land area →
Source detail: 2025 population
2025 population
Source agency
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
Dataset
Census PEP
Vintage / period
Vintage 2025 (Jul 1, 2025)
Native geography
Census PEP subcounty place records for the included city universe.
Transformation
Copied from POPESTIMATE2025, joined by Census GEOID, and used for ranks, filters, and city pages.
Known limit: Annual estimate, not a decennial count; each new PEP vintage can revise the prior series.
Population grew 7.6% from the April 2020 base to mid-2025.
Vintage 2025 · annual estimates
Recent history (V2025 series, 2020 base → 2025).
2020 base: 283,881 → 2025: 305,561 (+7.6%)
Year
Population
Reference date
2020 base
283,881
April 1, 2020
2020
281,709
July 1, 2020
2021
286,599
July 1, 2021
2022
290,678
July 1, 2022
2023
295,264
July 1, 2023
2024
300,834
July 1, 2024
2025
305,561
July 1, 2025
Earlier history (2010–2019, prior Census vintage)
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2019 release — a separate, earlier methodology. They’re shown here as historical context only; the 2010 and 2019 values aren’t directly comparable to the 2020–2025 series above.
Population grew 20.9% from the July 2010 estimate to 2019 (V2019 — see seam note below).
Durham is the #70 largest of 19,483 U.S. cities and #4 in North Carolina.
▸Show the analyst detail (9 rows)
Measure
Value
Note
2020 base
283,881
April 1, 2020 census base
5-yr change
+21,680
2020 base → 2025; within V2025
5-yr change %
+7.6%
within V2025 only
1-yr change
+4,727
2024 → 2025 estimate
1-yr change %
+1.6%
within V2025 only
Density
2,548
people per sq mi, land only
Land area
119.9
sq mi (2025 Gazetteer)
U.S. rank by population
#70
of 19,483 cities
State rank by population
#4
of 549 in North Carolina
What is the median household income in Durham?
Same-period U.S. benchmarks: household income $80,734 ± $166; per-capita income $44,673 ± $122. Margins are at 90% confidence. Comparison badges describe point estimates; they are not significance tests.
Median household income is 1% above the U.S. median ($81,619 vs $80,734); 11.7% live in poverty, 0.8 points below the 12.5% U.S. estimate.
Median household income$81,619
US
Durham: $81,619 — 1% above the US median of $80,734.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS income data; censored rows retained in the distribution
Durham
$81,619
United States
$80,734
Income and poverty estimates for Durham from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates (window 2020–2024). Every figure is shown with its 90% margin of error (MOE). Cells where the ± margin exceeds half the estimate are flagged "low precision." See methodology §12.
Measure
Estimate
± margin / note
Median household income
$81,619+1.1% vs US
±$2,203
Per capita income
$49,636+11.1% vs US
±$1,130
Population in poverty
11.7% ± 0.9 percentage points
share of population for whom poverty status is determined
Median home value is 18% above the U.S. median ($392,800 vs $332,700); median rent is 7% above ($1,508 vs $1,413); the ratio of median home value to median household income is 4.8× versus 4.1× nationally; this compares two distributions and does not measure an individual household's housing burden.
Median home value$392,800
US
Durham: $392,800 — 18% above the US median of $332,700.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS home-value data; censored rows retained in the distribution
HUD 2-BR fair-market rent$1,711/mo
US
Durham: $1,711/mo — 59% above the US median of $1,077/mo.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with a HUD Fair Market Rent
Same-period U.S. benchmarks: home value $332,700 ± $236; gross rent $1,413 ± $2. Comparison badges describe estimates and do not establish statistical significance.
Measure
Estimate
± margin / note
Median value, owner-occupied units
$392,800+18.1% vs US
±$6,855
Median gross rent
$1,508+6.7% vs US
±$31
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR (FY2026)
$1,711-11.9% vs US
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area (city spans multiple FMR areas)· 40th-percentile gross rent · HUD methodology
Owner-occupied share
52.3% ± 0.9 percentage points
of occupied housing units
Price-to-income ratio
4.8x± 0.15x approximate 90% MOE+16.8% vs US
median home value ÷ median household income · U.S. ratio: 4.1x
Rent-burdened (≥30% of income)
48.5% ± 2.9 percentage points-5.2% vs US
renters with a computed rent/income ratio · U.S. share: 51.1%
Severely rent-burdened (≥50%)
22.9% ± 2.0 percentage points-11.4% vs US
renters with a computed rent/income ratio · U.S. share: 25.9%
Poverty (Census SAIPE 2024, model-based), unemployment (BLS LAUS 2025 annual averages), and remote-work share (ACS 2020–2024) for Durham. Numbers are labeled at their native grain — place-grain when BLS publishes it, otherwise per-county. We do not compute population-weighted county averages. See methodology §13.
Measure
Value
Grain
Unemployment rate (annual avg)
3.4%
Durham (BLS sub-state LAUS)
Civilian labor force
169,630
2025 annual avg
Worked from home
23.3% ± 1.0 percentage points+54.5% vs US
share of workers 16+ working from home · U.S. share: 15.1% · ACS
County context — Durham spans 3 counties; all are listed (no weighted average):
County
Poverty rate
Median HH income
Unemployment
Durham County
11.3%
$84,375
3.4%
Wake County
8.6%
$107,083
3.2%
Orange County
12.4%
$83,872
3.3%
Top industries by private employment — NAICS supersectors rolled up from Durham's linked 3 counties in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW, 2025 annual averages). See methodology §11.
#
Industry (NAICS supersector)
Private employment
Avg weekly wage
#1
Health care and social assistance (62)
130,517
$1,402 / wk
#2
Professional and technical services (54)
117,428
$2,620 / wk
#3
Retail trade (44-45)
85,373
$822 / wk
#4
Accommodation and food services (72)
79,517
$534 / wk
#5
Administrative and waste services (56)
65,704
$1,201 / wk
What workers earn in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro — top occupations by employment plus six curated benchmarks (registered nurse, software developer, elementary teacher, general manager, retail salesperson, truck driver). Wages are metro-area medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). See methodology §25.
Software Developers is the largest tracked occupation in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro (9,790 jobs, median $135,620/yr).
▸Show all 13 occupations
Occupation
Employment
Median annual
Median hourly
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
5,820
$46,860
$22.53
Fast Food and Counter Workers
5,350
$29,170
$14.02
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
5,250
$37,750
$18.15
Cashiers
4,840
$29,920
$14.39
Nursing Assistants
4,830
$40,560
$19.50
Customer Service Representatives
4,660
$46,800
$22.50
Cooks, Fast Food
4,520
$29,190
$14.04
Office Clerks, General
4,180
$47,010
$22.60
Software Developers · benchmark
9,790
$135,620
$65.20
Retail Salespersons · benchmark
5,850
$31,790
$15.28
General and Operations Managers · benchmark
3,400
$113,930
$54.77
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education · benchmark
2,430
$51,400
—
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers · benchmark
2,130
$53,280
$25.61
This city spans multiple metros; OEWS data shown is for Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, the metro of the city's primary county.
All items run 2.4% below the U.S. average (RPP 97.6); utilities run 10.7% below (RPP 89.3) — the metro's utility affordability is the main driver.
Cost of living (RPP, all items)RPP 97.6
US
Durham's cost of living runs 2.4% below the U.S. average (RPP 97.6 vs 100).
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of metro/non-metro areas with a BEA price parity
BEA Regional Price Parity (all items)
RPP 97.6
−2.4% vs U.S. average · BEA 2024 · Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR
$1,711/mo
FY2026 · Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area
State income tax (top marginal rate)
3.99%
flat · TY2026
Four-person monthly spending scenario
$9,114/mo
3BR rent + food + childcare + taxes + transport · federal sources; excludes unverified local income tax
One-person monthly spending scenario
$3,691/mo
1BR rent + food + taxes + transport · federal sources; excludes unverified local income tax
Local income tax
—
Unverified and excluded from the spending scenario; not a verified zero
Household budget figures are arithmetic floors using current federal sources at the grains documented in methodology. Not a recommended salary, not a poverty threshold, not a composite score.
15.4% ± 0.7 percentage points foreign-born (U.S. share 14.1%); Spanish is the most-spoken language at home other than English (12.9% of residents 5+).
A quick read on Durham's residents — nativity and languages spoken at home shown above, from the ACS 5-Year 2020–2024. The full demographic breakdown (age, race and ethnicity, household types, and educational attainment, each with its margin of error) lives on the demographics page.
Hottest month: July (90°F avg high). Coldest: January (29°F avg low). Annual precipitation: 47.3 in.
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) for Durham from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See methodology §15 for the gridded vs. station source path.
Average monthly highs & lows · 30-year normal (NOAA 1991–2020). Every number on this chart is an average.
bar = avg daily high → avg daily lowprecip in inches below each barprecip in millimeters below each bar
Composite risk spans 79.1–95.5/100 across 3 counties; most-cited top hazard is Heat Wave (in 1 of 3).
Natural-hazard exposure for Durham from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index (FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0). NRI is an expected-annual-loss composite calibrated on 1996–2019 historical losses, published at the U.S. county grain. See methodology §17.
Durham spans 3 counties. We list each separately because hurricane, flood, and fire risk varies meaningfully across county lines — manufacturing a single “city-level” risk score would hide that signal.
Hail 98.5 Relatively High · Riverine Flooding 97.7 Relatively High · Heat Wave 96.9 Relatively High
Orange County
79.1
Relatively Low
Winter Weather 86.2 Relatively High · Riverine Flooding 85.5 Relatively Moderate · Lightning 85.3 Relatively High
Source: FEMA National Risk Index · FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0 · methodology →
How fast is home internet in Durham?
10 non-satellite ISPs serve the area; 74% of locations have gigabit-capable service per ISP filings.
Fixed broadband availability for Durham from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Collection (BDC), as of December 31, 2025. Every speed and provider count below is an ISP-reported advertised maximum — not measured throughput. Actual delivered speeds typically run 60–80% of advertised. See methodology §16.
Measure
Value
Note
Providers serving this city
10 + satellite
distinct ISPs, excluding satellite-only
Fiber providers
9
offer fiber-to-the-premises somewhere in the BDC
Units with ≥100/20 Mbps fixed
100.0%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Locations with ≥100 Mbps upload
74.0%
derived: max(fiber ≥100/20, gigabit). Fiber is symmetric; gigabit is ≥100 up by definition
Units with ≥1 Gbps fixed
74.0%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Total broadband-serviceable units
151,544
residential locations in the FCC Fabric (not households)
Source: FCC BDC · as of December 31, 2025 · methodology →
How much crime is reported in Durham?
In 2024, law enforcement reported 1,859 violent and 11,407 property offenses in the Durham jurisdiction — a violent-crime rate of 619.2 per 100,000, above the U.S. estimate of 359.1.
Reported offenses known to law enforcement from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program (CIUS Table 8), 2024. Figures describe the FBI agency jurisdiction: Durham — an FBI jurisdiction population of 300,208, versus the Census place population of 305,561. The rate per 100,000 is the FBI's own (count ÷ that jurisdiction population), never divided by the Census place figure. These are reported crimes under voluntary participation — not measured or victimization crime — and the FBI cautions against using them to rank or compare places. See methodology §31.
Offenses known, 2024
Count
Rate /100k
U.S. rate
Violent crime
1,859
619.2
359.1
Property crime
11,407
3,799.7
1,760.1
▸Offense breakdown and 3-year trend
Offense, 2024
Count
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter
37
Rape
172
Robbery
483
Aggravated assault
1,167
Burglary
1,352
Larceny-theft
8,182
Motor vehicle theft
1,873
Arson (12-month reporters only)
35
Year
Violent /100k
Property /100k
Jurisdiction pop.
2022
687.2
3,316.6
286,377
2023
636.3
3,761.1
295,788
2024
619.2
3,799.7
300,208
Only years the agency reported a complete 12 months appear; the FBI does not estimate missing agency-years, so a gap is a non-reporting year, not zero crime.
U.S. rate is the FBI national estimate (imputes non-reporting agencies); the city figures are reported-only. Source: FBI UCR CIUS Table 8 (2022–2024) · FBI agency jurisdiction: Durham · methodology → · FBI Crime Data Explorer →
In-state context.
Durham sits at state rank #4 among 549 cities in North Carolina. Nearby in the state ranking:
Just above in the profiled set: St. Paul, MN · #69 · 306,684 residents.
Just below in the profiled set: Jersey City, NJ · #71 · 302,013 residents.
Quick travel facts for Durham
Quick travel facts.
Elevation
348 ft · at city centroid, from USGS 3D Elevation Program
Nearest scheduled-service airport
Raleigh-Durham International Airport(RDU) · 9 mi 15 km from city centroid
Best months to visit
May, Oct · months when the avg high sits in 65–80°F and precipitation is at or below the city's median monthly precip
Sources: elevation from USGS 3DEP · nearest airport from OurAirports CSV (OurAirports type=large/medium and scheduled_service=yes; not an FAA service classification) · best months derived from NOAA 1991-2020 normals · methodology →
Frequently asked questions about Durham.
How many people live in Durham, NC?
Durham has 305,561 residents as of July 1, 2025, making it the #70 largest city in the United States and #4 in North Carolina. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025.
Is Durham growing or shrinking?
Durham has grown 7.6% since the April 2020 census baseline, adding 21,680 residents, including a 1.6% increase from 2024 to 2025. Source: Census PEP Vintage 2025.
The GEOID for Durham is 3719000. These are the official datasets used by this profile's main data modules; click "methodology" for inclusion rules and the V2019 ↔ V2025 seam, or "source" for the raw publisher page. The headline population value above includes a source-detail disclosure with publisher, dataset, vintage, native geography, transformation, and caveat.
