Durham, NC vs Monterey, CA

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

Monterey

62.7

#1834 nationally

Durham leads in cost of living index (102 vs 192). Monterey leads in walk score (53 vs 33). Monterey leads in median household income ($98,003 vs $67,432).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Durham, NC	Monterey, CA
WhereAtHome Score	69.4 (#1213)	62.7 (#1834)
Population	283,506	29,116
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$395,976	$1,179,065
Median Household Income	$67,432	$98,003
Average Commute	22.8 min	19.1 min
Walk Score	33	53
Crime Level	Moderate	10.5
School Rating	6.4	N/A
Cost of Living Index	102	192
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+61.9	D+29.9