Durham, NC vs Orange, 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

Orange

63.3

#1780 nationally

Durham leads in cost of living index (102 vs 178). Orange leads in median household income ($109,335 vs $67,432). Orange leads in walk score (51 vs 33).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Durham, NC	Orange, CA
WhereAtHome Score	69.4 (#1213)	63.3 (#1780)
Population	283,506	138,337
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$395,976	$1,136,729
Median Household Income	$67,432	$109,335
Average Commute	22.8 min	26.5 min
Walk Score	33	51
Crime Level	Moderate	6.2
School Rating	6.4	N/A
Cost of Living Index	102	178
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+61.9	D+2.6