Durham, NC vs Waltham, MA

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

Waltham

66.7

#1517 nationally

Waltham leads in walk score (57 vs 33). Waltham leads in median household income ($113,443 vs $67,432). Durham leads in cost of living index (102 vs 164).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Durham, NC	Waltham, MA
WhereAtHome Score	69.4 (#1213)	66.7 (#1517)
Population	283,506	64,477
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$395,976	$831,292
Median Household Income	$67,432	$113,443
Average Commute	22.8 min	24.6 min
Walk Score	33	57
Crime Level	Moderate	6.9
School Rating	6.4	N/A
Cost of Living Index	102	164
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+61.9	D+39.5