Durham, NC
Durham, NC scores 70/100 (Good) on Your Area Score. It is a large city with a moderately affordable cost profile, a mixed safety profile, and a appealing climate. Whether it is a good place to live will depend heavily on your budget, neighborhood choice, and priorities.
Based on affordability, safety, climate, infrastructure, schools, grocery access, and risk.
At a Glance
Why Durham, NC scored 74/100
Top strengths
- Cost of Living is one of the strongest categories for this city.
- Climate also helps lift the overall score.
- Durham, NC may appeal most to families, budget-conscious movers, people who want convenience.
Main trade-offs
- Safety is one of the weaker categories here.
- Infrastructure may be a deciding factor depending on your priorities.
- Neighborhood choice still matters because citywide averages never tell the full story.
How Durham, NC compares inside North Carolina
Durham, NC sits inside a larger comparison set across North Carolina. Use the state-level ranking pages to see how this city stacks up for overall livability, affordability, safety, and lifestyle-specific moves.
Category Scores
This city sits in a middle affordability tier, median gross rent is about $1,508, median home value is about $392,800, and the city is large enough to support a broad mix of jobs, services, and retail. See cheaper cities in North Carolina.
The main risks here include storms, humidity, and fast growth pressure. Conditions can vary significantly by neighborhood and property type. Compare safer cities in North Carolina.
The climate in Durham, NC is generally generally mild. This can be a positive or negative depending on your tolerance for heat, humidity, cold, rain, or seasonal swings.
Larger cities usually score better here because they support more services, access, and everyday convenience.
School quality is mixed to solid overall. Some districts and attendance zones perform better than others, so neighborhood-level research is important.
Most residents should have solid grocery access, though convenience and store variety can depend on which side of the city they live in.
Living in Durham, NC
This section turns the score into day-to-day reality: housing, comfort, family fit, convenience, and the main trade-offs you would notice after moving.
Cost, housing, and daily setup
This city sits in a middle affordability tier, median gross rent is about $1,508, median home value is about $392,800, and the city is large enough to support a broad mix of jobs, services, and retail.
- Median rent: $1,296
- Median home value: $316,600
- Best fit: families, budget-conscious movers, people who want convenience
Bottom line
Durham, NC is currently rated Good with a MoveScore of 74/100. Its strongest areas are Cost of Living and Climate, while the biggest trade-offs are Safety and Infrastructure.
Climate and comfort
The climate in Durham, NC is generally generally mild. This can be a positive or negative depending on your tolerance for heat, humidity, cold, rain, or seasonal swings.
Risk and drawbacks
The main risks here include storms, humidity, and fast growth pressure. Conditions can vary significantly by neighborhood and property type.
Schools and family fit
School quality is mixed to solid overall. Some districts and attendance zones perform better than others, so neighborhood-level research is important.
Errands and convenience
Most residents should have solid grocery access, though convenience and store variety can depend on which side of the city they live in.
Entertainment & Things To Do
Durham, NC has at least some nearby venue access, which can add entertainment value even if it is not one of the region’s main event hubs.
Best Fit For
- People who want strong convenience, errands, and day-to-day access.
- Budget-conscious movers who still want solid city access.
- Families who want a workable mix of schools, services, and convenience.
- Sports fans and people who enjoy concerts, events, and a more active city feel.
Less Ideal For
- People expecting every category to perform at the same level across the full city.
Neighborhood Reality
Durham, NC is not uniform. Some areas perform significantly better than others across safety, schools, and overall livability. Where you choose to live within the city will have a major impact on your experience.
What stands out
- PNC Arena — about 15.6 miles away
- Carter-Finley Stadium — about 15.8 miles away
Relocation takeaway
People who care about weekend options usually want to know whether a city feels quiet, convenient, or event-driven. Durham, NC currently leans toward moderate entertainment access with some major venue support.
Crime & Safety Reality
This is a practical interpretation of the city-level safety score. It should be treated as a broad relocation signal, not a substitute for neighborhood-level research.
What the current score suggests
Durham, NC has a mixed safety profile. Some areas will feel more stable and residential, while others may require more careful neighborhood selection. The main risks here include storms, humidity, and fast growth pressure. Conditions can vary significantly by neighborhood and property type.
What movers should do next
- Compare neighborhoods, not just city averages.
- Check commute routes after dark, not only daytime convenience.
- Look for trade-offs between affordability, access, and perceived safety.
Traffic & Commute Reality
Traffic quality is not just about how many roads exist. It is about whether the city gives you enough route options to handle daily commuting, errands, and regional travel.
How travel may feel here
Durham, NC has workable everyday connectivity, though travel times can stretch depending on commute direction and time of day. A few strong road connections help with local and regional travel, but commute quality will still depend heavily on where you live and where you work.
Why this matters
Cities with stronger access routes usually feel easier for airport runs, cross-town errands, and commuting to job centers. That does not eliminate congestion, but it does improve flexibility when one corridor slows down.
Primary Access & Connectivity
These are some of the main road connections near Durham, NC. They help show how easy it is to move around locally, reach job centers, and make longer regional trips.
Interstate 40
Strong regional and long-distance access for commuting, airport runs, and cross-metro travel.
Interstate 85
Strong regional and long-distance access for commuting, airport runs, and cross-metro travel.
NC 147
Useful for local connectivity, everyday errands, and shorter regional trips.
Nearby Stadiums & Event Venues
Nearby venues can make a city more appealing for sports fans, concerts, and large events, but they can also increase traffic and activity on event days.
PNC Arena
Nearby venue that can improve access to sports, concerts, and major events.
Carter-Finley Stadium
Nearby venue that can improve access to sports, concerts, and major events.
Keep exploring North Carolina
This city profile is only one node in the larger North Carolina cluster. Move up into ranking pages when you want broader comparisons, or into the full state hub when you want more city options and stronger crawl paths through the site.