Durham County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Normal · 42.9 | 336,892 people · 88th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Durham County, NC falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 42.9 — 2152nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within North Carolina, it ranks 88th of 100 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Durham County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 79.3 — worse than roughly 79% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 79.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 77
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 70
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 72
Homeownership Rate 96
Rent-to-Income Ratio 81
Debt & Delinquency 55.8
Debt in Collections 61
Medical Debt 67
Student Loan Delinquency 58
Auto Loan Delinquency 69
Credit Card Delinquency 60
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 20
Community Vulnerability 39.9
Uninsured Rate 75
Disability Rate 5
Income & Poverty 23.2
Poverty Rate 25
Income vs. State Median 9
Child Poverty Rate 36
Employment & Wages 16.2
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 12
Business Formation Rate 10

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Durham County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Durham County
Durham County, NC 42.9 Normal —
Person County, NC 56.5 Elevated +13.6
Granville County, NC 49.3 Normal +6.4
Orange County, NC 34.1 Healthy -8.8
Wake County, NC 33.6 Healthy -9.3
Chatham County, NC 32.8 Healthy -10.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Durham County
Denver County, CO 42.7 Normal -0.2
Sonoma County, CA 42.7 Normal -0.2
Lancaster County, PA 42.5 Normal -0.4
Virginia Beach city, VA 43.4 Normal +0.5
Anchorage Municipality, AK 43.4 Normal +0.5

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Durham County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Durham County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Durham County.

NORTH CAROLINA HOUSING COALITION
Durham
919-881-0707 Website
REINVESTMENT PARTNERS
Durham
919-667-1000 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling

See all counselors in North Carolina →

Find an Attorney

North Carolina State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

North Carolina State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-662-7407

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Durham County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid of North Carolina 1-866-219-5262
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy 704-376-1600
NC Equal Access to Justice Commission
Duke Law School Community Enterprise Clinic

Self-Help Resources

NC Courts Self-Help Resources — Foreclosure Official NC court system resources for foreclosure proceedings and borrower rights
NCHFA Homeowner Resources Assistance programs, counselor referrals, and HAF information

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in North Carolina →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Durham County, North Carolina?

    Durham County has a County Distress Index score of 42.9 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,152nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 88th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Durham County?

    The primary driver of distress in Durham County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 79.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Durham County compare to neighboring counties?

    Durham County (42.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Person County, NC (56.5); Granville County, NC (49.3); Orange County, NC (34.1).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Durham County?

    Durham County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 336,892 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.