Raleigh receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Raleigh
Durham
Opportunity
85 · Top 1%
vs68 · Top 24%
Growth
71 · Top 10%
vs76 · Top 5%
Climate
72 · Top 45%
vs72 · Top 45%
Physical resilience
73 · Top 27%
vs68 · Top 31%
Housing affordability
70 · Top 46%
vs70 · Top 45%
Access
97 · Bottom 49%
vs97 · Bottom 49%
Economic stability
61 · Top 28%
vs62 · Top 23%
Measured values
| Metric | Raleigh | Durham | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 481,031 | 291,467 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $85,395 | $81,619 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,897 | $49,636 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,187/sq mi | 2,453/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $415,800 | $392,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,572 | $1,508 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.7% | 52.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 54.0% | 57.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.9% | 11.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 5,124 | 4,643 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 10.9 | 16.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -0.6% | 33.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 32°F | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 46.1" | 46.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.8 min | 24.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.7 | 35.1 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Raleigh
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Durham
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Raleigh, NC · Durham, NC · How this is calculated: methodology