1st Advantage MortgageAbout 55% of Durham County homes are owner-occupied, and the median household income is $82,316. Those figures describe the county, not you: compare at least three written offers by APR and total cost, and confirm the lender's license before you apply.
On this page
- Durham County by the numbers
- What Durham County households earn
- Work, industries and travel time in Durham County
- Housing costs in Durham County
- Places inside Durham County
- Regional comparison for Durham County
- Budget math at the Durham County median
- More Durham County figures
- Borrowing situations common in Durham County
- Steps before you apply in Durham County
- Checking a lender's license in North Carolina
- Related local guides
- Frequently asked questions
Durham County by the numbers
Roughly 332,353 residents live in Durham County, North Carolina, 6th by population among the state's 100 counties and county equivalents. Packed into 288 square miles, that is close to 1,156 residents for every square mile of land. It is one of the counties that make up the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metropolitan statistical area (OMB, 2023). Of the 2 Census places inside Durham County, Durham leads by population with about 291,467; 1 of the 2 are incorporated.
What Durham County households earn
The median household income in Durham County is $82,316; statewide it is $72,388, so Durham County runs 14% above North Carolina as a whole. That places it 12th among North Carolina's 100 county-level areas.
| Yearly household income | Durham County | Gap to North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 18.4% | -4.8 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 39.4% | -2.0 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 28.5% | +3.6 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 13.6% | +3.2 pts |
Some 18% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 42% have six-figure incomes. Census counts 11.5% of Durham County residents in poverty, against 13.0% across North Carolina. Income from any regular source can count, including Social Security, pensions and disability benefits, as long as you can document it.
Work, industries and travel time in Durham County
The biggest employer of Durham County residents, by industry, is education and health care at 34% of workers, followed by professional and administrative services (17%). Compared with North Carolina, the county leans toward education and health care (34% against 23%). The survey's unemployment rate for Durham County averages 3.9% over 2020 to 2024 (state: 4.7%). About 63% drive to work alone and 9% have trips of 45 minutes or more. Households without a car make up 6.7% of the total (5.3% statewide).
| Industry | Share of Durham County workers | vs North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 33.6% | +11.1 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 17.3% | +4.6 pts |
| Manufacturing | 7.4% | -4.2 pts |
| Retail trade | 7.3% | -3.9 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 7.2% | -1.2 pts |
| Finance, insurance and real estate | 6.2% | -1.0 pts |
A lender verifies what your own job pays. The county's industry mix tells you about the local economy, not about your application.
Housing costs in Durham County
Renters in Durham County pay a median of $1,508 a month, 23% above the North Carolina figure of $1,228. 48% of renting households spend 30% or more of income on rent, and 23% spend half or more. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $389,400, about 4.7 times the median household income. 55% of Durham County households own their home and 45% rent. Half the housing stock was built before 1993.
| Home costs | Durham County | North Carolina | U.S. middle county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,508/mo | $1,228/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $389,400 | $288,900 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 55% | 67% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 48% | 49% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 21% | 25% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 1.2% | 11.0% | n/a |
Places inside Durham County
The table lists the 2 largest of 2 Census places in Durham County, by population. Together all 2 hold about 293,058 people, so roughly 12% of residents live outside any named place. Linked names have their own city guide; this page covers every other Durham County community.
| Place in county | Status | Population (ACS) | Median HH income | Monthly rent | Distance from center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham | city | 291,467 | $81,619 | $1,508 | 4 mi |
| Gorman | CDP | 1,591 | $47,297 | $1,311 | 4 mi |
A CDP is a named community without its own municipal government.
Regional comparison for Durham County
Distances run center to center, from Orange County at 14 miles out to Chatham County at 31. Wake County leads the group on income ($105,768), Person County trails ($63,300), and Durham County out-earns 3 of the six.
| County | Miles | Median household income | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham County | - | $82,316 | $1,508/mo | 55% |
| Orange County, NC | 14 mi | $90,089 | $1,496/mo | 64% |
| Wake County, NC | 21 mi | $105,768 | $1,623/mo | 64% |
| Granville County, NC | 22 mi | $71,111 | $1,008/mo | 77% |
| Person County, NC | 25 mi | $63,300 | $864/mo | 77% |
| Alamance County, NC | 29 mi | $65,651 | $1,064/mo | 65% |
| Chatham County, NC | 31 mi | $94,317 | $1,180/mo | 81% |
Budget math at the Durham County median
Lenders compare monthly debt payments with gross monthly income, the debt-to-income ratio. For a Durham County household at the medians it works out like this; treat it as an illustration only.
- $6,860 a month: gross income for a household at the Durham County median
- Median rent: $1,508, or 22 cents of every gross dollar
- At 35%, room after rent is $893 a month
- Under a 45% cap, $3,087 total minus rent leaves $1,579
Two-income households and single earners in Durham County land in very different places on this math, so run it for your own budget.
More Durham County figures
55% of Durham County adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or more. The uninsured rate is 10.8%, against 9.9% for North Carolina.
| Indicator | Durham County | All of North Carolina | U.S. county median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.1 | 39.1 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 55.2% | 35.7% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 8.5% | 9.9% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 10.8% | 9.9% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 6.7% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 22.9% | 16.3% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 11.5% | 13.0% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 3.9% | 4.7% | 4.4% |
| One-way commute | Share of Durham County workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 26.3% |
| 15 to 29 min | 46.6% |
| 30 to 44 min | 18.4% |
| 45 to 59 min | 4.4% |
| 60+ min | 4.3% |
Borrowing situations common in Durham County
Based on the Durham County data above, these borrowing questions are most likely to matter locally.
- Uninsured care. 11% lack coverage here; nonprofit hospitals must publish an assistance policy, so ask for it first (guide).
- Consolidation math. With 42% at six figures, card consolidation is common; it pays only if total cost falls (guide).
- Tight rental budgets. With 48% of Durham County renters cost-burdened, test a new payment against a lean month.
Steps before you apply in Durham County
A short checklist for Durham County borrowers:
- Write down what the expense costs; a smaller loan costs less.
- Line up offers side by side: APR, fees in dollars, total cost.
- Only work with lenders licensed for North Carolina borrowers.
- Confirm the first due date before setting up autopay.
Checking a lender's license in North Carolina
The North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks is the place to verify any lender's North Carolina license. Problems with a lender can also go to the CFPB. Statewide data and rules: North Carolina guide.
Related local guides
More local guides:
Frequently asked questions
Is Durham County a high-income county?
Its $82,316 median ranks 12th of 100 North Carolina counties and compares with $65,681 for the median U.S. county.
How much is rent in Durham County?
Median gross rent, utilities included, is $1,508 a month; 48% of renters spend 30% or more of income on it.
Does this page cover Durham?
Yes, along with the other 1 Census place in Durham County, such as Gorman.
Does living in Durham County change what I qualify for?
Not in our fit check, which uses only the amount, credit range, income and payments you enter, the same for a Durham County resident as anyone. Lenders decide under fair-lending law.
Is there a Durham County office that licenses lenders?
No, licensing is statewide. In North Carolina it is the North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks.