City comparison
Durham, NC is about 125 miles (225 km) from Richmond, VA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 175 miles, or about 2 h 45 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 Richmond, VA takes about 16 min, covering roughly 125 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 227,171 in Richmond — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Durham covers about 120 sq mi vs 60 sq mi for Richmond.
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 | Richmond | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,296/mo | $1,227/mo | 5.6% higher in Durham |
| Median home value | $316,600 | $308,300 | 2.7% higher in Durham |
| Median household income | $74,710 | $59,606 | 25.3% higher in Durham |
| Groceries index | 96.8 | 96.9 | ≈ equal (Richmond slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 89.8 | 89.7 | ≈ equal (Durham slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 98.4 | 98.8 | ≈ equal (Richmond slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 97.9 | 98.3 | ≈ equal (Richmond slightly higher) |
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 $100,010 in Richmond to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Durham and Richmond have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Durham, you'd need about $80,008 in Richmond to keep the same standard of living.