Durham, NC vs Hercules, 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

Hercules

63.3

#1776 nationally

Hercules leads in median household income ($125,880 vs $67,432). Durham leads in average commute (22.8 min vs 40.4 min). Durham leads in cost of living index (102 vs 171).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Durham, NC	Hercules, CA
WhereAtHome Score	69.4 (#1213)	63.3 (#1776)
Population	283,506	26,582
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$395,976	$743,984
Median Household Income	$67,432	$125,880
Average Commute	22.8 min	40.4 min
Walk Score	33	29
Crime Level	Moderate	4.6
School Rating	6.4	N/A
Cost of Living Index	102	171
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+61.9	D+38.0