Skip to main content

EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

Saved
PLACEThriving

Durham, NC

Thriving overall. GDP / Output is the clearest support signal, while housing needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

Post on XLinkedIn
Overall score79out of 100
Compare
100
70
83
69
NA

Population

291,467

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+8.7% YoY

100

$53.3B

Output changed +8.7% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth6.2%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

70

3.4%

Unemployment is 3.4% for July 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg3.6%
U.S. avg4.1%

Population

+5.5% 5-year

83

291,467

Population moved +5.5% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population10,730,404
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

69

22.2%

Median rent consumes 22.2% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$1.2K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

Unavailable per resident

NA

Unavailable

Federal spending data is unavailable for this geography.

Vintage date unknown

State totalUnavailable
U.S. total$5.3T
USAspending federal inflow temporarily unavailable.

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

Unavailable

No federal obligations were reported for this geography.

Top agencies

Dollars

No agencies reported.

Top recipients

Dollars

No recipients reported.

Affordable

Housing Affordability

22.2%

of median income

1BR estimate$1,237
2BR estimate$1,629
Median income$81,619
Median home value$392,800

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

291,467

Median age

35.1

Bachelor's degree+

57.3%

Poverty rate

11.7%

Labor force participation

69.2%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.0%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.6%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

July 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-09-09

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • USAspending federal inflow temporarily unavailable.
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

+1.1%

GDP CAGR

+7.0%

Federal flow

N/A

Population (5 years)
2020276,341
2021279,106
2022284,094
2023288,465
2024291,467
GDP (5 years)
2020$37.9B
2021$41.6B
2022$45.1B
2023$49.0B
2024$53.3B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

2024291,467
2025295,778 *
2026299,739 *

R² = 99.1% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$53.3B
2025$56.8B *
2026$60.6B *

R² = 99.9% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$81,619/yr
Median rent$1,508/mo
Rent share of income22.2%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$23,835/yr
Mortgage share of income29.2%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate3.4%
State avg3.6%
U.S. avg4.1%
Labor force participation69.2%
Poverty rate11.7%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. July 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$392,800
Median monthly rent$1,508
Price-to-rent ratio21.7x

High price-to-rent ratio — renting may be more economical than buying in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateStrong
Composite score84/100
Economic growth100/100
Labor market70/100
Population momentum83/100
Overall stability79/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

Durham city, North Carolina

City/Town

Part of

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

Nearby locations

Gorman, NCChapel Hill, NCMorrisville, NCCarolina Meadows, NCCarrboro, NC