Durham, NC vs Waterloo, IA

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

Waterloo

81.8

#36 nationally

Waterloo leads in average commute (16.5 min vs 22.8 min). Durham leads in median household income ($67,432 vs $54,104). Waterloo leads in cost of living index (88 vs 102).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Durham, NC	Waterloo, IA
WhereAtHome Score	69.4 (#1213)	81.8 (#36)
Population	283,506	66,606
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$395,976	$149,005
Median Household Income	$67,432	$54,104
Average Commute	22.8 min	16.5 min
Walk Score	33	37
Crime Level	Moderate	13.0
School Rating	6.4	N/A
Cost of Living Index	102	88
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+61.9	D+1.2