Cost of living in Durham: rent, homes and salary
Cost of living in Durham comes in 2.4% under the US average: in the Durham, NC metro area, the 2024 BEA regional price parity (RPP) is 97.6, the US is 100, and housing on its own is 98.9.
- Overall prices
- 97.6US = 100, BEA 2024
- Price level for housing
- 98.9. Rents, US = 100.
Cost of living index for Durham
It measures what a basket of goods and services costs in a single place, against the US average, which is set at 100. That measure is called a regional price parity. Durham falls inside the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, which BEA prices as one region. Utilities sit furthest from the US average, at 89.3, or 10.7% below the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | Durham, NC metro | North Carolina | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 97.6 | 94.3 | −2.4% |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.6 | −3.4% |
| Housing (rents) | 98.9 | 81.4 | −1.1% |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 88.6 | −10.7% |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.2 | −1.8% |
BEA regional price parities for metro areas and states, 2024, come from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. BEA price parity data
Rents in Durham
The Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) puts the typical asking rent in Durham at $1,626 a month, +3.2% on a year. ZORI tracks rent on homes listed now. The US figure is $1,932. Census median gross rent is $1,670. That figure counts every renting household, not only new leases. Twelve months of asking rent equal 24% of the median household income.
| Rent | Durham | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $1,626 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +3.2% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $1,670 | $1,487 |
| How much of median income one year of asking rent takes up | 24% | 28% |
Zillow Observed Rent Index; Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024, with one-year estimates.
Durham home prices
By the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), a typical Durham home was worth $384,724 as of September 2026. That index tracks a typical home priced around the middle of the market. Year over year, the change is −3.7%, while the US figure is $366,157. That is 4.6 years of median household income, compared with 4.5 for the US.
| Home prices | Durham | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $384,724 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | −3.7% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +91.3% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 4.6 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 19.7 | 15.8 |
Days on market, the forecast, and the price chart since 2000: Durham housing market.
What salary you need to live in Durham
The salary needed in Durham to buy what your pay buys today comes from two questions: your location, and what you earn.
- Moving from
- Salary
See the method and all cities next to each other: cost of living by city.
Moving to Durham? Compare moving quotes on Moving.com, a mover-quote service; we are not paid for this link.
Durham cost of living compared with other cities
| City | Overall prices | Housing | Typical rent level | Home value, typical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham | 97.6 | 98.9 | $1,626 | $384,724 |
| Winston-Salem | 92.0 | 71.4 | $1,478 | $260,047 |
| Wilmington, North Carolina | 96.4 | 93.2 | $1,713 | $416,464 |
| Asheville | 96.5 | 93.4 | $1,726 | $444,478 |
| New York City | 112.6 | 148.6 | $4,089 | $825,854 |
| Los Angeles | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,772 | $927,891 |
| Chicago | 103.6 | 112.0 | $2,311 | $334,108 |
| Houston | 98.6 | 104.5 | $1,544 | $259,465 |
| Phoenix | 103.3 | 121.2 | $1,571 | $404,067 |
Price levels come from BEA regional price parities, 2024, with the US at 100. Rent figures come from Zillow ZORI. Home values: Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
All cities ranked: cost of living comparison by city. Each state: cost of living by state.