Cost of Living in Durham, North Carolina
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Durham, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 305,561
- Median household income
- $82,916
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 97.6
- Unemployment rate
- 3.1%
Is Durham a good place to live?
Durham is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 166 of the 178 other large US cities we track.
A typical worker in Durham keeps $12,836 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living2% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,586 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$1,914 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in Durham
Prices in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC area run 2% below the US average. Utilities is the biggest difference, at 11% below the US average.
- Housing1% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)3% below the US average
- Utilities11% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)2% below the US average
- All items2% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,586 | $19,032 |
| Food | $477 | $5,724 |
| Transportation | $377 | $4,524 |
| Healthcare | $346 | $4,152 |
| Utilities | $233 | $2,796 |
| Total before taxes | $3,019 | $36,228 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Durham | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,525 | $1,498 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,586 | $1,554 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,779 | $1,745 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,204 | $2,161 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,545 | $2,486 |
Living in Durham
How Durham compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Durham | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $82,916 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $439,400 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,670 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 46.9% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 11.4% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 58.9% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 35.6 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 21.3 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 20.5% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 2.9% | 3.7% |
Home internet
6 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Durham, led by Spectrum, T-Mobile, Verizon, Google Fiber. Fiber reaches 70.3% of homes and 74% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Durham
Pros
- Paychecks go further. A typical worker keeps $12,836 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs, more than in 166 of 178 large cities.
- Strong job market. Unemployment is 3.1%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2024 1-year).
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 21.3 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Highly educated workforce. 58.9% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 36.9% nationally.
Cons
Nothing stands out against the US average in the data we track.
What your job keeps in Durham
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $60,720
- Federal income tax
- −$5,106
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,645
- State income tax
- −$1,914
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$19,032
- Everyday costs
- −$17,187
a year, or $1,070 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Durham-Chapel Hill, NC. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Software engineer | $135,620 | $62,840 |
| Nurse practitioner | $132,300 | $60,704 |
| Project manager | $104,870 | $42,711 |
| Accountant | $85,090 | $29,586 |
| Social worker | $66,713 | $17,390 |
| Teacher | $53,379 | $7,231 |
| Truck driver | $53,280 | $7,154 |
| Pharmacy technician | $47,350 | $2,626 |
| Medical assistant | $46,450 | $1,939 |
| Nursing assistant | $40,560 | −$2,559 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Durham on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic $5,856
- Carpenter $5,825
- Civil engineer $35,459
- Data scientist $43,793
- Dental assistant $5,925
- Dental hygienist $40,448
- Dentist $111,150
- Diesel mechanic $12,698
- Electrician $11,691
- Financial analyst $40,899
- Firefighter −$4,246
- HVAC technician $11,659
- Lawyer $61,019
- Licensed practical nurse $17,547
- Lineman $20,501
- Mechanical engineer $40,575
- Occupational therapist $28,305
- Paralegal $6,559
- Paramedic $15,577
- Pharmacist $66,535
- Physical therapist $39,639
- Physician assistant $60,942
- Plumber $12,370
- Police officer $12,362
- Radiologic technologist $26,493
- Registered nurse $29,094
- Respiratory therapist $26,267
- Speech-language pathologist $28,504
- Veterinarian $60,833
- Welder $4,099
Compare Durham with other cities
Compare Durham with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Durham
17 licensed interstate movers are based in Durham, and 5 more elsewhere in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Durham, NC a good place to live?
Durham is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 166 of the 178 other large US cities we track. The typical worker here earns $60,720 and keeps $12,836 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Durham?
Prices in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC area are 2% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,586 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,432 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Durham?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $44,000 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC area earns $60,720.
What is the average rent in Durham?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,525 for a studio, $1,586 for a 1-bedroom and $1,779 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Durham at $1,670 a month (2024).
Does Durham have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $60,720, North Carolina state income tax comes to about $1,914 a year. Durham has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Durham?
6 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Durham, led by Spectrum, T-Mobile, Verizon, Google Fiber. 70.3% of homes can get fiber and 74% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate