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Durham, NC

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Quality of Life

Overall Quality Of Life
A-
Great

A high quality of life with strong walkability, manageable living costs, healthy neighborhood signals, and solid amenity access.

Quality of Life blends cost of living, nearby amenities, socioeconomic signals, and neighborhood character. City-level scores represent the whole municipality; individual neighborhoods can differ.

The Hood Index™

A metric tracking the socioeconomic signals of the area.

A-
Hood Index scan area
Luxury Lean80%
RisksNeutralGrowth
Premium
40
Positive
40
Poor
18
Negative
10

Groceries

7 within 10 miles

1.8mi

Gas

20 within 10 miles

0.5mi

Hospital

20 within 20 miles

2.9mi

Airport

RDU — Raleigh–Durham International

9.3mi

Post Office

USPS — Durham, NC

1.3mi

Critical Amenities

Golf6Nearest 3.1 mi
Camping5Nearest 7.2 mi
Marina0Nearest 10.7 mi
Winery2Nearest 7.7 mi
Ice Rink0Nearest 10.3 mi
Gun Range2Nearest 7.5 mi

Affluence Level

Overall Affluence Grade
C
Average

A middle-class area roughly in line with national averages across income, home values, education, and employment.

Est. Avg Net Worth
$551k
16% below US avg
Avg HH Debt
$20k
9% above US avg

Crime

Overall Crime Grade
D-
High Risk

Significantly higher crime rates than 77% of comparable U.S. locations.

Crime Rate
40.9
Incidents per 1,000 residents
5yr Trend
−12.6%
Overall crime change since 2020

Violent Crime

5yr−32.6%
Homicide
0.11 / 1k Residents88% above state avg
Robbery
1.43 / 1k Residents275% above state avg
Aggravated Assault
2.98 / 1k Residents28% above state avg

Property Crime

5yr+7.5%
Burglary
4.07 / 1k Residents49% above state avg
Larceny-Theft
26.42 / 1k Residents123% above state avg
Motor Vehicle Theft
5.22 / 1k Residents175% above state avg
Source: FBI Crime Data · 2025

Political Climate

Cook PVI: D+23Solidly Liberal

District shown is the primary district for this city’s centroid. Cities may span multiple districts.

Presidential Voting Trends for Durham, North Carolina
Dem Rep
20%30%40%50%60%70%80%2000200420082012201620202024

Personal Sovereignty

Personal Sovereignty measures your capacity for self-reliance and independence with minimal government friction. Higher scores mean fewer barriers between you and the way you want to live... but it assumes you have the space you need and good neighbors.

Overall Sovereignty Grade
B
Self-Reliant

Viable for self-reliance. Generally workable, though some barriers may limit total independence.

State Policy

Tax Burden
C+
Weak9.9% of income
Property Rights
C+
FairIJ Grade C+
Firearm Rights
A
GreatFPC Grade A
Homeschooling
D-
PoorHigh regulation

Energy independence: Importer (15% of energy produced in-state)

Personal Liberty

Raw Milk
C+
LimitedHerd shares only
Gambling Laws
B
Broadly OpenTribal · Poker · Sportsbetting
Marijuana Laws
A-
Broadly LegalMedical + Decrim.

Homesteading

Growing Season243 days326 frost-free
Annual Rainfall51.5"
Elevation361 ft

Strategic Assessment

Strategic Assessment grades tactical survivability using Joel Skousen's Strategic Relocation framework. Major population centers, blast zones, natural disasters, and border exposure all drive risk — lower exposure means a more defensible position in a crisis.

Learn more about Strategic Relocation ($)
Overall Strategic Grade
D+
Vulnerable

Multiple tactical vulnerabilities. Population density, target proximity, or disaster risk are likely compounding. A retreat property and exit planning is required.

Strategic Pillars

City Proximity
F
Poor1.1 mi to nearest major city
Fallout Danger
C
Weak2 within ~30 mi
Natural Disaster
F
PoorInland Flooding, Tornado, Hurricane, Heat Wave, Earthquake
Border / Coast
A+
Greatborder 481 mi · coast 133 mi
FEMA Expected Loss$90.9M/yrfor the county

Key Distances

Nearest Major CityDurham284k people are 1.1 mi away
Nearest Major AirportRDU9.3 mi away
Distance to State Capital20 miRaleigh, NC
Nearest Prison19 mi2 within 25 mi

* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area.

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