Demographics · NC
Durham, NC demographics: 291,467 residents, with a median age of 35.1 years, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020–2024 (5-year estimates).
291,467 people live in Durham, at a median age of 35.1 years (American Community Survey 2020–2024, a 5-year average)
Median age 35.1 years — younger than the U.S. median of 38.9.
ACS 2020–2024 5-year · ACS 5-Year Estimates 2020-2024 (released 2026-01-29)
In Durham, the largest race group is White (42.1%); 15.2% of residents are Hispanic or Latino (of any race); 15.4% were born outside the United States.
ACS 2020–2024 · B01001 / B01002
The median age in Durham is 35.1 years (±0.2), younger than the U.S. median of 38.9 years. The population is 47.1% male and 52.9% female. The largest age band is 25 to 34 at 19.2%.
| Age band | People | Share | ± margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 17,889 | 6.1% | ±423 |
| 5 to 17 | 40,629 | 13.9% | ±1,493 |
| 18 to 24 | 30,817 | 10.6% | ±1,254 |
| 25 to 34 | 56,010 | 19.2% | ±618 |
| 35 to 44 | 41,918 | 14.4% | ±1,558 |
| 45 to 54 | 33,519 | 11.5% | ±710 |
| 55 to 64 | 31,243 | 10.7% | ±1,488 |
| 65 to 74 | 24,459 | 8.4% | ±1,144 |
| 75 and over | 14,983 | 5.1% | ±871 |
Median age by sex: 34.3 (male) · 35.7 (female).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B01001 sex by age, B01002 median age) · place-grain · margins of error at the 90% confidence level · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B02001 / B03003
The largest race group in Durham is White at 42.1% of the population. Separately, 15.2% of residents are Hispanic or Latino of any race. Race and Hispanic origin are two different questions on the census form, so their shares are reported separately and are not additive.
| Race (alone, or two or more) | People | Share | ± margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| White alone | 122,603 | 42.1% | ±2,115 |
| Black or African American alone | 97,688 | 33.5% | ±2,081 |
| American Indian & Alaska Native alone | 1,882 | 0.6% | ±722 |
| Asian alone | 16,949 | 5.8% | ±591 |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander alone | 147 | 0.1% | ±142 · low precision |
| Some other race alone | 24,047 | 8.3% | ±1,695 |
| Two or more races | 28,151 | 9.7% | ±2,418 |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 44,260 | 15.2% | ±1,245 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B02001 race, B03003 Hispanic or Latino origin) · place-grain · margins of error at the 90% confidence level · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B11001 / B25010
Durham has 126,550 households. 53.4% are family households and 36.5% are people living alone. The average household holds 2.21 people.
Total households
126,550
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr · B11001
Avg household size
2.21
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr · B25010 · ±0.02
Family households
53.4%
Share of all households · B11001
Living alone
36.5%
Share of all households · B11001
| Household type | Households | ± margin |
|---|---|---|
| Total households | 126,550 | ±1,055 |
| Family households | 67,530 | ±1,695 |
| Nonfamily households | 59,020 | ±1,818 |
| Householder living alone | 46,251 | ±1,805 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B11001 household type, B25010 average household size) · place-grain · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B05002 / C16001
15.4% of Durham residents were born outside the United States. 79.1% of residents age 5 and over speak only English at home. The most-spoken non-English language at home is Spanish (12.9%).
| Measure | Value | Source / grain |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign-born share | 15.4% | 44,974 people · B05002 |
| Speak only English at home (age 5+) | 79.1% | C16001 |
| Top non-English language at home | 12.9% | Spanish · 35,377 speakers · C16001 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B05002 place of birth, C16001 language spoken at home) · place-grain · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B15003
57.3% of adults age 25 and over in Durham hold a bachelor's degree or higher (the U.S. share is about 35%).
| Measure | Value | Source / grain |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 57.3% | B15003 lines 22–25 over line 1 · place-grain |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B15003 educational attainment, population 25+) · place-grain · methodology →
Sources · provenance
The GEOID for Durham is 3719000. Every figure on this page is a place-grain American Community Survey 5-Year 2020–2024 estimate (ACS 5-Year Estimates 2020-2024 (released 2026-01-29)) shown with its margin of error. Full per-dataset detail: /sources/.