Durham, NC vs Lacey, WA

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.

Durham

69.4

#1213 nationally

Lacey

68.1

#1347 nationally

Durham leads in cost of living index (102 vs 122). Lacey leads in median household income ($79,874 vs $67,432). Durham leads in walk score (33 vs 29).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Durham, NC	Lacey, WA
WhereAtHome Score	69.4 (#1213)	68.1 (#1347)
Population	283,506	58,326
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$395,976	$517,030
Median Household Income	$67,432	$79,874
Average Commute	22.8 min	25.7 min
Walk Score	33	29
Crime Level	Moderate	5.1
School Rating	6.4	N/A
Cost of Living Index	102	122
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+61.9	D+20.4