MetricDurham, NCCary, NC
Population291,467179,306
Median Household Income$81,619$134,905
Median Rent$1,508/mo$1,738/mo
Median Home Value$392,800$580,200
Cost of Living (US = 100)9898
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income46.3%36.9%
Poverty Rate11.7%5.7%
Unemployment Rate3.4%3.1%
Violent Crime Rate /100k50775
Property Crime Rate /100k3,599966
Median AQI4243
Good AQI Days /yr262250
Summer Highs85°F87°F
Winter Lows30°F33°F
Snowfall5 in/yr5 in/yr
Avg Commute22.3 min22.5 min
Hospitals41
Avg Hospital Rating4.7 / 55.0 / 5
Students per Teacher14.816.2
College Degree Rate57.3%70.5%
Foreign-Born %15.4%23.9%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+7.6%+5.0%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.