Durham, NC

Census Place

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2023 Population

288,465

1.54% 1-year growth

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

34.8

0.288% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

12.2%

3.29% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$79,234

6.06% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$355,300

12.2% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

156,221

1.18% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Durham, NC had a population of 288k people with a median age of 34.8 and a median household income of $79,234. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Durham, NC grew from 284,094 to 288,465, a 1.54% increase and its median household income grew from $74,710 to $79,234, a 6.06% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Durham, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (40.5%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (34.2%), Other (Hispanic) (6.48%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (5.57%), and Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.42%).

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 (6,863 degrees awarded in 2022), North Carolina Central University (1,734 degrees), and Durham Technical Community College (987 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Durham, NC was $355,300, and the homeownership rate was 51.8%.

Most people in Durham, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.7 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 288k people, from which 90.4% are citizens. As of 2023, 15.3% of Durham, NC residents were born outside of the country (44k people).

In 2023, there were 1.19 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (117k people) in Durham, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 98.6k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 18.7k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

90.4%

2023 Citizenship

90.7%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 90.4% of Durham, NC residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Durham, NC was 90.7%, 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 ± 1.68k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
98.6k ± 2.04k
Other (Hispanic)
18.7k ± 1.77k

14.7%

Hispanic Population

42.4k people

14.7% of the people in Durham, NC are hispanic (42.4k people).

The following chart shows the 7 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
214,508 ± 11,254 people
India
79,868 ± 6,912 people
Honduras
39,759 ± 4,886 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 214,508 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 79,868 and Honduras with 39,759.

Foreign-Born Population

15.3%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

44k people

14.7%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

41.9k people

As of 2023, 15.3% of Durham, NC residents (44k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Durham, NC was 14.7%, 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-)
2,906 ± 533
Vietnam
2,773 ± 381
Gulf War (1990s)
2,161 ± 469

Durham, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.05 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Durham, NC employs 156k people. The largest industries in Durham, NC are Health Care & Social Assistance (27,486 people), Educational Services (26,145 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (20,070 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($94,258), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($89,559), and Finance & Insurance ($89,115).

Males in North Carolina have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $57,464. The income inequality in North Carolina (measured using the Gini index) is 0.47, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

156k

2023 Value

± 3,824

1.18%

1 Year growth

± 3.41%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Durham, NC grew at a rate of 1.18%, from 154k employees to 156k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Durham, NC, are Management Occupations (20,498 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (14,096 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (13,713 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 false.

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

156k

2023 Value

± 3,824

1.18%

1 Year growth

± 3.41%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Durham, NC grew at a rate of 1.18%, from 154k employees to 156k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Durham, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (27,486 people), Educational Services (26,145 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (20,070 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

$55,321

Median earning men ± $2,253

$49,274

Median earning women ± $1,706

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($95,327), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($81,806), and Information ($80,375).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Wholesale Trade ($67,936), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($65,568), and Information ($64,708).

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.

Education

In 2022, universities in Durham, NC awarded 9,702 degrees. The student population of Durham, NC in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 12,045 male students and 18,092 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Durham, NC are White (3,403 and 43.2%), followed by Black or African American (1,975 and 25.1%), Asian (1,058 and 13.4%), and Hispanic or Latino (749 and 9.52%).

The largest universities in Durham, NC by number of degrees awarded are Duke University (6,863 and 70.7%), North Carolina Central University (1,734 and 17.9%), and Durham Technical Community College (987 and 10.2%).

The most popular majors in Durham, NC are Other Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods (1,147 and 11.8%), General Business Administration & Management (466 and 4.8%), and Computer Science (428 and 4.41%).

The median tuition costs in Durham, NC are $40,496 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 2022 in Durham, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 17.6%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 27.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 30,137 (40% men and 60% 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 2022 there were 30,137 students enrolled in Durham, NC, 40% men and 60% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 8,948 records, of which 57.6% were women and 42.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Other Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods
1,138 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
295 degrees awarded
Theological Studies
129 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Masters Degree recipients in Durham, NC was Other Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods with 1,138 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
6,863 degrees awarded
North Carolina Central University
1,734 degrees awarded
Durham Technical Community College
987 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Duke University with 6,863 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 4,077 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Durham, NC, which is 0.725 times less than the 5,625 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 3,403 degrees mean that there were 1.72 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 1,975 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 ($40,496) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,871) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,500) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.944% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.805% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (2.16M), Some college (1.84M), and Bachelors Degree (1.63M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Durham, NC was $355,300 in 2023, which is 1.17 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $316,600 to $355,300, a 12.2% increase. The homeownership rate in Durham, NC is 51.8%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Durham, NC have an average commute time of 22.7 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.

Median household income in Durham, NC is $79,234. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Durham, NC was Census Tract 20.08 with a value of $225,417, followed by Census Tract 20.20 and Census Tract 112.04, with respective values of $187,440 and $156,625.

Housing

Property

$355,300

Median Property Value 2023

±$5,684

$63,883

Median Property Taxes

±$2,080

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

51.8%

Homeownership

2023

67.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 51.8% of the housing units in Durham, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 52%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 20.08
Census Tract 20.20
Census Tract 112.04

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Durham, NC was Census Tract 20.08 with a value of $225,417, followed by Census Tract 20.20 and Census Tract 112.04, with respective values of $187,440 and $156,625.

The following map shows all of the places in Durham, NC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$79,234

Median Household Income

± $2,566

123k

Number of Households

± 3,180

In 2023, the median household income of the 123k households in Durham, NC grew to $79,234 from the previous year's value of $74,710.

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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

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

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2021 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2022, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.47 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0732% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Drove Alone (65.2%)
Worked At Home (20.6%)
Carpooled (7.96%)

In 2023, 65.2% of workers in Durham, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (20.6%) and those who carpooled to work (7.96%).

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

22.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Durham, NC have a shorter commute time (22.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.63% 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

12.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Durham, NC (33.9k out of 278k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 18 - 24.

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

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

88.4% of the population of Durham, NC has health coverage, with 53.6% on employee plans, 13.1% on Medicaid, 9.48% on Medicare, 11.1% on non-group plans, and 1.16% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Durham County, NC see 812 patients per year on average, which represents a 2.78% increase from the previous year (790 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1326 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 140 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Durham County, NC.

812 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Durham County, NC

Primary care physicians in Durham County, NC see an average of 812 patients per year. This represents a 2.78% increase from the previous year (790 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Durham County, NC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.9% under 18 years, 28.7% between 18 and 34 years, 36.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 12.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.2% were men and 53.8% were women.

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

Uninsured People

11.6%

Uninsured

53.6%

Employer Coverage

13.1%

Medicaid

9.48%

Medicare

11.1%

Non-Group

1.16%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Durham, NC declined by 0.166% from 11.6% to 11.6%.

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.

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