Signals
Durham
Boston
Opportunity
86 · Top 2%
vs64 · Top 33%
Climate
59 · Bottom 13%
vs65 · Bottom 36%
Physical resilience
63 · Top 45%
vs97 · Top 1%
Housing affordability
84 · Top 45%
vs44 · Bottom 6%
Access
82 · Bottom 25%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
30 · Bottom 7%
vs55 · Bottom 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Durham | Boston | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,681 | 666,442 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $112,070 | $97,344 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $25,585 | $61,698 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,531/sq mi | 13,786/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $498,000 | $731,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,302 | $2,147 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.6% | 35.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.3% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.0% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 75.4% | 54.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.4% | 16.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 81°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 15°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 47.8" | 43.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 30 mi | 2 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.5 min | 33.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 20.1 | 33.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 127 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.25 | 10.92 | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Durham
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, earthquake.
Boston
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Durham, NH · Boston, MA · How this is calculated: methodology