City comparison
Durham, NC is about 60 miles (100 km) from Fayetteville, NC in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 80 miles, or about 1 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Durham, NC to Fayetteville, NC takes about 7 min, covering roughly 60 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Durham has a population of 284,094, vs 208,697 in Fayetteville — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, Fayetteville covers about 150 sq mi vs 120 sq mi for Durham.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Durham | Fayetteville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,296/mo | $1,117/mo | 16.0% higher in Durham |
| Median home value | $316,600 | $158,500 | 99.7% higher in Durham |
| Median household income | $74,710 | $53,424 | 39.8% higher in Durham |
| Groceries index | 96.8 | 96.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 89.8 | 88.4 | 1.6% higher in Durham |
| Transportation index | 98.4 | 98.4 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 97.9 | 97.9 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Durham, you'd need $89,126 in Fayetteville to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fayetteville, NC is about 10.9% cheaper overall than Durham, NC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 33% higher in Durham than in Fayetteville. If you earn $80,000 in Durham, you'd need about $71,300 in Fayetteville to keep the same standard of living.