Durham, NC vs San Diego, 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

San Diego

65.3

#1643 nationally

Durham leads in cost of living index (102 vs 165). San Diego leads in walk score (52 vs 33). San Diego leads in median household income ($89,457 vs $67,432).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Durham, NC	San Diego, CA
WhereAtHome Score	69.4 (#1213)	65.3 (#1643)
Population	283,506	1,388,320
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$395,976	$994,682
Median Household Income	$67,432	$89,457
Average Commute	22.8 min	25.4 min
Walk Score	33	52
Crime Level	Moderate	Moderate-Low
School Rating	6.4	6.8
Cost of Living Index	102	165
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+61.9	D+16.8