Overall score
Use the Durham profile to compare affordability, air quality, and energy dimensions alongside regional peers such as raleigh, charlotte, and greensboro.
Overall63/100
Affordability55/100
Air quality62/100
Energy60/100
United States / North America
Durham City Intelligence
Durham is a city in North Carolina's Research Triangle anchored by Duke University and the Research Triangle Park, with access to Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Durham is a north america city of about ~650K metro in United States. On the composite city-intelligence score, Durham sits below the indexed median, with practical gaps to close (63/100).
- Last updated
- 2026-05-16
- Data year
- 2025
- Population
- ~650K metro
Image credit: Image: Discover Durham / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Overall city intelligence
Mixed63/100
Composite directional score across affordability, air quality, clean energy, and resilience.
Data confidence
Directional
Directional indicators pending integration of verified city-level data.
Verified utility layers
See country hub
Emergency, healthcare, and transport verification status appears on the country hub.
Durham data table
The table is part of the initial server-rendered HTML and mirrors the key city score cards.
| Metric | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 63/100 | Composite score across major city intelligence modules. |
| Cost of Living | 55/100 | Durham's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Air Quality | 62/100 | Durham's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Energy | 60/100 | Durham's energy-readiness profile is a directional indicator that combines national policy framing with city-level adaptation context. |
| Safety | 61/100 | Durham's safety profile is a directional indicator; verified country-level emergency profiles attach via the country hub where available. |
| Internet Speed | 62/100 | Durham's connectivity profile is a directional indicator combining national digital-readiness context with widely cited speed-test references. |
| Climate Risk | 58/100 | Durham's climate-risk profile is a directional indicator combining regional hazard categories with national adaptation capacity. |
| Resilience | 58/100 | Climate adaptation and infrastructure continuity context. |
Safety
Deterministic safety estimates from our index — planning signals derived from country priors and city data, not official crime statistics.
Safety
Overall safety76/100
Low crime79/100
Personal safety78/100
Night safety72/100
Road safety74/100
Durham is estimated to be a generally safe city (76/100 in our safety index), with solid personal-safety indicators.
Quality of Life
A composite quality-of-life estimate and its component indicators.
Quality of Life
Quality of life83/100
Healthcare84/100
Education87/100
Green space91/100
Cleanliness83/100
Infrastructure89/100
Mobility65/100
Durham has a very high quality-of-life estimate (83/100), with notable strengths in healthcare, green space, cleanliness and infrastructure.
Family Friendliness
How the city scores for raising a family, with the indicators that drive it.
Family Friendliness
Family friendliness81/100
Education87/100
Green space91/100
Overall safety76/100
Durham scores very high for family living (81/100), helped by education access, safety, parks and green space and healthcare.
Digital Nomad Suitability
Suitability for remote workers, based on connectivity, mobility, and livability.
Digital Nomad Suitability
Digital nomad suitability70/100
Walkability67/100
Cycling59/100
Infrastructure89/100
Durham is high for remote workers (70/100), based on connectivity, safety and overall livability and day-to-day amenities.
Retirement Suitability
Suitability for retirement, weighing healthcare, affordability, climate, and environment.
Retirement Suitability
Retirement suitability78/100
Healthcare84/100
Cleanliness83/100
Outdoor lifestyle59/100
Durham is high for retirement (78/100), appealing for healthcare access, a comfortable climate and a clean environment.
Emergency and public safety in Durham
Local public safety guidance for Durham, with the country-level emergency contacts that apply when calling for police, fire, or ambulance.
| Service | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Universal emergency | 91124/7 | 911 reaches police, fire, and emergency medical dispatch across the United States. |
For the universal emergency contacts that apply in Durham, including police, fire, and ambulance, see the United States emergency profile.
Public safety sources
Each emergency contact above is attributed to an official emergency service or government publisher. Confirm current numbers directly with these sources.
- Federal Communications Commission: 9-1-1 and E9-1-1 services
Used as the primary attribution for the United States 911 universal emergency number.
Last verified: 2026-05-16
Methodology and the wider source registry are documented on the scoring methodology and data sources pages.
Healthcare and hospitals in Durham
Healthcare context for Durham, with national-level information from United States where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only and does not provide medical advice.
For the national healthcare and public-health context that applies in Durham, see the United States healthcare profile.
Official hospital registry
Federal directory for comparing Medicare-certified hospitals, nursing homes, and other care providers.
Last verified: 2026-05-16
Healthcare sources
Each entry above is attributed to an official government, public health, or recognised health-system publisher. Confirm current information directly with these sources.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Used as the primary federal attribution for United States public-health context.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: Medicare Care Compare
Used as the official United States hospital registry reference for verified facility lookups.
Last verified: 2026-05-16
Related sections: emergency and public safety, scoring methodology, and data sources.
Transport and mobility in Durham
Local mobility context for Durham, with national-level context from United States where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only.
For national transport authorities and operators that apply in Durham, see the United States transport profile.
Transport sources
Each entry above is attributed to an official transport authority, national operator, airport publisher, or government source. Confirm current information directly with these publishers.
- U.S. Department of Transportation: U.S. Department of Transportation
Used as the primary federal attribution for United States national transport context.
- Federal Aviation Administration: Federal Aviation Administration
Used as the primary attribution for United States aviation authority information.
- Federal Railroad Administration: Federal Railroad Administration
Used as the primary attribution for United States rail authority information.
Last verified: 2026-05-16
Related sections: emergency and public safety, healthcare and hospitals, cities directory, countries directory, scoring methodology, data sources.
Air quality dataset
Source-attributed air-quality dataset for Durham. Verified measurements are surfaced when published from accepted official datasets; transparent fallback is shown otherwise.
Air quality dataset for Durham
Verified data unavailableLast updated 2026-05-16 / data year 2025
Verified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location
Source-attributed values for Durham will appear here after the platform integrates verified measurements from accepted official publishers. Until then, structured air-quality module context remains available on the dedicated module page.
| Metric | Value | Data year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air quality | Verified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location. | ||
Data provenance
Source attributionGlobal City Intelligence — air-quality dataset
Verified data unavailable- Publisher
- Global City Intelligence
- Last verified
- 2026-05-16
The air-quality dataset begins empty by design. Verified city-level measurements appear here only after they are sourced from accepted publishers (WHO, EEA, US EPA, OpenAQ, OECD, or official national/city environmental agencies).
Methodology and context
Numeric measurements appear in this section only after they are sourced from accepted official publishers. The dataset is independently validated at build time; malformed records cannot ship to production.
- Scoring methodology — how indicators across the platform are constructed.
- Data sources registry — the official sources cited by verified datasets.
- Open the Durham air-quality module
- Browse the clean-air city collection
Explore Durham modules
City pages link to module and ranking pages so crawlers can move through the topic cluster naturally.
Cost of Living in Durham
Durham's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies.
Air Quality in Durham
Durham's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated.
Energy in Durham
Durham's energy-readiness profile is a directional indicator that combines national policy framing with city-level adaptation context.
Safety in Durham
Durham's safety profile is a directional indicator; verified country-level emergency profiles attach via the country hub where available.
Internet Speed in Durham
Durham's connectivity profile is a directional indicator combining national digital-readiness context with widely cited speed-test references.
Climate Risk in Durham
Durham's climate-risk profile is a directional indicator combining regional hazard categories with national adaptation capacity.
City rankings
Compare this city against other indexed cities in crawlable ranking tables.
Cost of living in Durham
Cost of living estimates for Durham — monthly budgets, rent, food, and transport in the local currency, plus an affordability score for comparison. Planning estimates derived from country baselines, not live prices.
Climate in Durham
Climate profile for Durham — Humid Subtropical climate, annual average 19.3°C, comfort score 83/100. Month-by-month temperatures, rainfall, sunshine, and the best months to visit. Deterministic planning estimates, not a forecast.
Economy and jobs in Durham
Economy and jobs profile for Durham — regional center, economy score 84/100, key industries including technology, aerospace, research. Employment, salary, startup, remote-work, and career indicators. Deterministic planning estimates.
Universities and education in Durham
Education profile for Durham — regional education center, education score 72/100, 4 representative universities, plus research, student life, and international-student indicators. Deterministic dataset, not institutional rankings.
Visual guide to Durham
Source-attributed visual context for Durham using verified Wikimedia imagery from the existing media catalog, alongside structured city intelligence and planning links. Not a tourism guide or attractions ranking.
Weekend trip planning guide for Durham
Weekend trip planning checklist for Durham — links into arrival planning, Summer 2026 travel context, visual orientation, budget tools, transport, public safety, and healthcare context. Not an itinerary, events calendar, hotel-price guide, restaurant guide, or tourism ranking.
Nearby weekend places from Durham
Source-backed nearby place records for local-first weekend planning, with verification status, official source links, Wikidata identity, and visual context.
Estimate a monthly budget for Durham
Estimate a monthly budget for Durham using your own housing, food, transport, healthcare, and lifestyle inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official cost-of-living measurement.
Plan a trip budget for Durham
Plan a trip budget for Durham using your own accommodation, food, local transport, activities, travel, healthcare buffer, and emergency buffer inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official travel cost estimate.
Nearby cities from Durham
Where else nearby you could spend a day or a weekend from Durham. Links are derived from geographic proximity, shared region, shared natural-recreation areas, transport corridors, and country borders — not popularity or tourism rankings.
Cary, United States
Same region · about 26 km from Durham. Explore Cary's city intelligence profile.
Raleigh, United States
Same region · about 33 km from Durham. Explore Raleigh's city intelligence profile.
Greensboro, United States
Same region · about 83 km from Durham. Explore Greensboro's city intelligence profile.
Fayetteville, United States
Same region · about 103 km from Durham. Explore Fayetteville's city intelligence profile.
Winston-Salem, United States
Same region · about 123 km from Durham. Explore Winston-Salem's city intelligence profile.
Roanoke, United States
Same region · about 170 km from Durham. Explore Roanoke's city intelligence profile.
Charlotte, United States
Same region · about 195 km from Durham. Explore Charlotte's city intelligence profile.
Richmond, United States
Same corridor · about 216 km from Durham. Explore Richmond's city intelligence profile.
Wilmington, United States
Same region · about 216 km from Durham. Explore Wilmington's city intelligence profile.
Chesapeake, United States
Same region · about 249 km from Durham. Explore Chesapeake's city intelligence profile.
Themed collections
Theme-first discovery collections that include Durham — grouped by outdoor interest (mountains, lakes, coasts, forests, national parks) rather than geography.
North American Waterfall Destinations
Waterfall Destinations · 23 places across 19 cities.
United States Hiking Areas
Hiking Areas · 50 places across 44 cities.
United States Lake Escapes
Lake Escapes · 50 places across 38 cities.
United States Mountain Escapes
Mountain Escapes · 50 places across 38 cities.
United States River Valleys
River Valleys · 48 places across 43 cities.
Interpretation
Use the Durham profile to compare affordability, air quality, and energy dimensions alongside regional peers such as raleigh, charlotte, and greensboro. Its standout dimensions are air quality (62/100) and internet speed (62/100). The area most worth watching is cost of living (55/100), where the model registers practical gaps. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16. Drawn from 4 institutional references.
Country context is available on the United States country page. Related rankings include Overall Intelligence, Quality of Life, Remote Work. See where Durham appears in global rankings or read the scoring methodology.
Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation. Verified datasets are being integrated; official sources should be used for critical decisions.
Sources
4 institutional references inform this view, listed below with reliability notes. Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation; verified datasets are being integrated and official sources should be used for critical decisions.
- UN-Habitat: World Cities Report 2024
Used as a policy and methodology reference for urban exposure and resilience signals.
- US Environmental Protection Agency: National Ambient Air Quality Standards
Used where United States city comparisons need air-quality benchmark context.
- NASA: NASA POWER
Used as an energy-resource and weather-normalization reference.
- IPCC: AR6 WGII Chapter 6: Cities, settlements and key infrastructure
Used to explain urban climate vulnerability and adaptation scoring logic.