City comparison
Durham, NC is about 20 miles (30 km) from Raleigh, NC in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 22 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 Raleigh, NC takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 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.
Raleigh has a population of 465,517, vs 284,094 in Durham — about 1.6× larger by population. By land area, Raleigh 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 | Raleigh | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,296/mo | $1,371/mo | 5.8% higher in Raleigh |
| Median home value | $316,600 | $347,000 | 9.6% higher in Raleigh |
| Median household income | $74,710 | $78,631 | 5.2% higher in Raleigh |
| Groceries index | 96.8 | 96.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 89.8 | 89.5 | ≈ equal (Durham slightly higher) |
| 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 $101,986 in Raleigh to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Durham, NC is about 1.9% cheaper overall than Raleigh, NC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% higher in Raleigh than in Durham. If you earn $80,000 in Durham, you'd need about $81,589 in Raleigh to keep the same standard of living.