Cost of living in Durham research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Durham is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in New Hampshire, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Durham is 121, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Durham is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Durham ranks as the #22 cheapest in New Hampshire out of 25.
Durham ranks as the #4,857 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Durham is $396,200.
The median income in Durham is $70,938.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Durham has an overall cost of living index of 121, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Hampshire, Durham has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than New Hampshire's index of 114.
The standard of living in Durham ranks as #22 most affordable out of the 25 places we measured in New Hampshire. By definition, that implies Durham ranks as the #3 most expensive place in the Granite State.
For more reading on life in Durham, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Durham. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Durham is 112.
The Groceries index in Durham is 101.
The Health index in Durham is 112.
The Housing index in Durham is 152.
The Transportation index in Durham is 95.
The Utilities index in Durham is 113.
Living Expense | Durham | New Hampshire | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 121 | 114 | 100 | |
Services | 112 | 123 | 100 | |
Groceries | 101 | 102 | 100 | |
Health | 112 | 124 | 100 | |
Housing | 152 | 108 | 100 | |
Transportation | 95 | 110 | 100 | |
Utilities | 113 | 122 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in New Hampshire, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Durham is $396,200.
The Median Rent in Durham is $1,173.
The Median Income in Durham is $70,938.
The Home Value To Income in Durham is 5.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Durham is 0.2x.
Statistic | Durham | New Hampshire | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $396,200 | $288,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,173 | $1,212 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $70,938 | $83,449 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 5.6x | 3.5x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.2x | 0.17x | 0.2x |
Item | Durham | New Hampshire |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $0.98 | $1.06 |
Movie | $8.77 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $19.0 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $25.03 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $41.18 | $39.05 |
Item | Durham | New Hampshire |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.49 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.19 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.79 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.41 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $11.09 | $10.62 |
Beer | $8.99 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.64 | $2.34 |
Item | Durham | New Hampshire |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $101.89 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $152.49 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $121.64 | $99.13 |
Item | Durham | New Hampshire |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.0 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $51.84 | $50.07 |
Item | Durham | New Hampshire |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $205.73 | $167.67 |
Phone | $179.98 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Durham. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Dover, NH has a cost of living index of 113, 0.9x Durham.
Rochester, NH has a cost of living index of 104, 0.9x Durham.
Portsmouth, NH has a cost of living index of 128, 1.1x Durham.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Durham |
---|---|---|---|
Dover, NH | 32,599 | 113 | 0.9x |
Rochester, NH | 32,317 | 104 | 0.9x |
Portsmouth, NH | 21,897 | 128 | 1.1x |
Somersworth, NH | 11,964 | 102 | 0.8x |
Exeter, NH | 9,908 | 110 | 0.9x |
Hampton, NH | 9,900 | 124 | 1.0x |
Newmarket, NH | 5,621 | 108 | 0.9x |
Kittery, ME | 5,335 | 120 | 1.0x |