Austin, TX vs Durham, NC

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Austin

68.3

#1322 nationally

Durham

69.4

#1213 nationally

Austin leads in median household income ($91,461 vs $67,432). Austin leads in walk score (42 vs 33). Durham leads in cost of living index (102 vs 129).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Austin, TX	Durham, NC
WhereAtHome Score	68.3 (#1322)	69.4 (#1213)
Population	967,862	283,506
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$504,148	$395,976
Median Household Income	$91,461	$67,432
Average Commute	26.8 min	22.8 min
Walk Score	42	33
Crime Level	Moderate	Moderate
School Rating	7.2	6.4
Cost of Living Index	129	102
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+39.3	D+61.9