Can you afford to live in Durham?

Median household income, home values and rent in Durham, NC — how they've changed since 2015 and how much of a typical paycheck housing takes compared with the rest of the country.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

This story was assembled using AI and public data sources.

What it costs to live in Durham.

Median household income: $79,234 — +57.1% since 2015 (not adjusted for inflation)

Median gross rent: $1,412/mo — +58.8% since 2015

Median home value, 2015 to 2023

• 2015: 182000
• 2023: 355300

Median household income

• Durham: 79234
• Durham County: 79501
• NC: 69904
• U.S.: 78538

Median gross rent

• Durham: 1412
• Durham County: 1415
• NC: 1162
• U.S.: 1348

Share of income a typical renter spends on rent: 28.7% — U.S.: 30.2%

What it means

Households here earn about what households nationally earn ($79,234 versus $78,538).

The typical renter here spends 28.7% of household income on rent, below the 30% cost-burden line.

Since 2015, rent has risen faster than income here (+58.8% versus +57.1%), before adjusting for inflation.