Living in Durham (North Carolina)

Durham (North Carolina) is a city in North Carolina, United States, home to 257,636 people. Of the 29 household profiles on Nestlyzer, its strongest are digital natives (top 3%, #113 of 4,750), commuters (top 4%, #207 of 6,227), students (top 4%, #73 of 2,119).

Residents257,636

Density– per km²

Area– km²

Hub airport16 km (Raleigh-Durham International)

Nearest city of 100k+Itself

Within 30 km599,300 people

Lake shore17 km (Lake Jordan)

Climate typeHumid subtropical (Cfa)

Terrain around itabout 110 m, height range 60 m

Nearest large lakeFalls Lake Reservoir, 12 km

Nearest major riverEno, 8.9 km

Main railway line24.2 km

Distance to Washington, D.C.364 km

Within 10 km258,647 people

Greater areaGreater Durham, the core

Winter daylight9 h 43 min, sunset 23:05

See Durham (North Carolina) on the map

Open in Nestlyzer

Good to know about Durham (North Carolina)

On the shortest day the sun is up for 9 h 43 min and sets around 23:05; in late June it sets around 2:36.

Best places in Greater Durham

How Durham (North Carolina) ranks

Scores run 0 to 100 against every municipality in United States. Ranks count only the places that pass each profile's minimums, so the totals differ by profile. Local data: official statistics on affordability, green space, education and family, health and elderly, jobs and economy, lifestyle and amenities, mobility and connectivity and safety and community (local or regional figures, sources on every place page) plus population and geography.

Profile	Score	In United States	In North Carolina
Young family	49	#5,850 of 11,898	#78 of 324	Map
Low-income household	46	#2,991 of 9,771	#88 of 253	Map
Low-income family	46	#3,879 of 8,006	#87 of 199	Map
Single parent	51	#2,842 of 6,237	#46 of 124	Map
Pensioner couple	60	#4,588 of 9,474	#53 of 256	Map
Single pensioner	54	#6,247 of 9,474	#77 of 256	Map
Early retiree	60	#4,976 of 10,762	#73 of 283	Map
Single professional	69	#509 of 4,537	#5 of 75	Map
Young professional	73	#388 of 4,444	#4 of 74	Map
DINKS	72	#827 of 3,053	#6 of 46	Map
Remote worker	60	#2,772 of 7,271	#65 of 150	Map
Commuter	79	#207 of 6,227	#4 of 122	Map
Car-free household	76	#361 of 3,933	#4 of 60	Map
Student	81	#73 of 2,119	#4 of 27	Map
First-home buyer	53	#1,932 of 8,006	#49 of 199	Map
Budget-constrained mover	42	#6,101 of 12,111	#194 of 328	Map
Urban lifestyle seeker	70	#551 of 4,114	#4 of 66	Map
Expat professional	71	#1,230 of 7,271	#8 of 150	Map
Healthcare-first mover	59	#4,508 of 9,474	#29 of 256	Map
Nature-focused household	40	#12,507 of 18,063	#457 of 491	Map
Cross-border commuter		not ranked: must-have: a border within 45 km where pay is higher on the other side	–	Map
Outdoor and mountain lover	23	#7,909 of 16,523	#192 of 446	Map
Rural value seeker	30	#13,898 of 18,063	#477 of 491	Map
High-net-worth mover	62	#4,515 of 16,523	#23 of 446	Map
Lottery winner	80	#326 of 21,167	#5 of 580	Map
Climate-resilient relocation	67	#3,110 of 12,111	#16 of 328	Map
Coastal living	65	#3,246 of 6,413	#74 of 157	Map
Business owner	74	#1,044 of 12,111	#8 of 328	Map
Digital native	70	#113 of 4,750	#3 of 79	Map

Strengths and trade-offs

Services nearby (people within 10 km: shops, doctors, cafes, transport)100
Universities in town (universities and universities of applied sciences within 10 km)99
Foundation96
University-town character (universities relative to the people nearby)96
Climate exposure (estimate: coastal and river flooding, heat; 100 = low)92
Mobility and connectivity90
Climate (mild and sunny: climate class and winter daylight)76
Sea or lake shore74
Lifestyle and amenities72
Jobs and economy71
Health and elderly68
Education and family66
Market reach (residents within 100 km, across borders)63
City scale (people within 10 km: big-city life, transit, scenes)59
Flat land (terrain relief)55
Home market (residents of the same country within 150 km)54
Freight access (motorway, rail, port)51
One-day truck radius (residents within 300 km, across borders)46
Green space39
Affordability30
Safety and community27
Mountains and water (terrain relief, lakes and the sea nearby)21
Port access (major sea or inland port)0
Chemical park nearby (sites with pipeline links)0
National border nearby (straight line)0
Financial centre (banking and capital markets) within commuting distance0
Commodity-trading or gold hub within commuting distance0
Crypto hub within commuting distance0
Wealth-management centre within commuting distance0

Nearby

Data: Eurostat GISCO LAU 2024; locations EDJNet LAU centres; airports OurAirports; coastline Natural Earth. Updated 2026-10-31. Rankings are decision aids, not advice.