Durham County, North Carolina

Durham County
County of Durham
Old Durham County Courthouse
Old Durham County Courthouse
Flag of Durham County
Official seal of Durham County
Official logo of Durham County
Motto: 
"Live. Grow. Thrive."
Map of North Carolina highlighting Durham County
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
Map of the United States highlighting North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°02′N 78°52′W / 36.04°N 78.87°W / 36.04; -78.87
Country United States
State North Carolina
Founded1881
Named forBartlett Snipes Durham
SeatDurham
Largest cityDurham
Area
 • Total298 sq mi (770 km2)
 • Land286 sq mi (740 km2)
 • Water12 sq mi (30 km2)  4.0%
Population
 • Total324,833
 • Estimate 
(2021)
326,126
 • Density1,140.3/sq mi (440.3/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district4th
Websitewww.dconc.gov

Durham County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 324,833, making it the sixth-most populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is Durham, which is the only incorporated municipality predominantly in the county, though very small portions of cities and towns mostly in neighboring counties also extend into Durham County. The central and southern parts of Durham County are highly urban, consisting of the city as well as several unincorporated suburbs. Southeastern Durham County is dominated by the Research Triangle Park, most of which is in Durham County. The northern third of Durham County is rural in nature.

Durham County is the core of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC Combined Statistical Area, which had a population of 2,106,463 in 2020.

History

The county was formed on April 17, 1881, from parts of Orange County and Wake County, taking the name of its own county seat. In 1911, parts of Cedar Fork Township of Wake County were transferred to Durham County and became Carr Township.

Geography

Interactive map of Durham County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 298 square miles (770 km2), of which 286 square miles (740 km2) is land and 12 square miles (31 km2) (4.0%) is water.

State and local protected areas/sites

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Major infrastructure

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
189018,041
190026,23345.4%
191035,27634.5%
192042,21919.7%
193067,19659.2%
194080,24419.4%
1950101,63926.7%
1960111,99510.2%
1970132,68118.5%
1980152,78515.2%
1990181,83519.0%
2000223,31422.8%
2010267,58719.8%
2020324,83321.4%
2021 (est.)326,1260.4%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

2020 census

Durham County racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 133,768 41.18%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 109,225 33.62%
Native American 704 0.22%
Asian 16,707 5.14%
Pacific Islander 83 0.03%
Other/Mixed 14,242 4.38%
Hispanic or Latino 50,104 15.42%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 324,833 people, 131,140 households, and 75,291 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 223,314 people, 89,015 households, and 54,032 families residing in the county. The population density was 769 people per square mile (297/km2). There were 95,452 housing units at an average density of 329 per square mile (127/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 50.91% White, 39.46% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 3.29% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 4.21% from other races, and 1.80% from two or more races. 7.63% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 89,015 households, out of which 29.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.00% were married couples living together, 14.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.30% were non-families. 30.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county, the age distribution was as follows: 22.90% under the age of 18, 12.80% from 18 to 24, 34.80% from 25 to 44, 19.80% from 45 to 64, and 9.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 93.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,337, and the median income for a family was $53,223. Males had a median income of $35,939 versus $30,683 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,156. About 9.80% of families and 13.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.20% of those under age 18 and 12.30% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

Durham County Sheriff's Office
AbbreviationDCSO, DSO
Motto"Honor, Duty and Service."
Agency overview
FormedMay 2, 1881
Employees452
Annual budget$34,949,195
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionDurham County, North Carolina, USA
General nature
Operational structure
Headquarters510 S Dillard St, Durham
Sworn officers
  • 181 Deputies
  • 211 Detention Officers
Civilians59
Agency executive
  • Clarence Birkhead, Sheriff
Facilities
Sub-Stations2
Notables
Award
Website
Official website

Durham County is a member of the regional Triangle J Council of Governments. Durham County is governed by a five-member board of county commissioners, currently consisting of Chair Brenda A. Howerton, Vice Chair Wendy Jacobs, Nimasheena Burns, Heidi Carter, and Nida Allam. All are elected concurrently, and each elected member serves a four-year term. The current Sheriff, Clarence Birkhead, was elected in 2018 and is the County's first African American Sheriff to hold office.

Politics

Durham County is consistently one of the most Democratic counties in North Carolina, having only voted for the Republican candidate twice since 1884, the Republican landslides of 1928 and 1972. George H. W. Bush is the last Republican to manage even 40 percent of the county's vote. Since the 1990s, Durham County has been one of the most Democratic urban counties in the South. Among counties in the I-85 Corridor, only Orange County is usually more Democratic.

United States presidential election results for Durham County, North Carolina
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 32,459 18.04% 144,688 80.42% 2,767 1.54%
2016 28,350 18.16% 121,250 77.66% 6,534 4.18%
2012 33,769 23.01% 111,224 75.80% 1,742 1.19%
2008 32,353 23.63% 103,456 75.57% 1,088 0.79%
2004 34,614 31.57% 74,524 67.96% 513 0.47%
2000 30,150 35.64% 53,907 63.72% 547 0.65%
1996 27,825 34.39% 49,186 60.79% 3,899 4.82%
1992 27,581 33.36% 47,331 57.24% 7,770 9.40%
1988 29,928 45.43% 35,441 53.79% 514 0.78%
1984 29,185 47.39% 32,244 52.36% 155 0.25%
1980 19,276 40.24% 24,969 52.13% 3,656 7.63%
1976 18,945 45.61% 22,425 53.99% 163 0.39%
1972 25,576 61.38% 15,566 37.36% 525 1.26%
1968 12,705 29.68% 16,563 38.69% 13,542 31.63%
1964 15,264 40.02% 22,874 59.98% 0 0.00%
1960 14,322 42.60% 19,298 57.40% 0 0.00%
1956 13,226 48.87% 13,835 51.13% 0 0.00%
1952 11,301 37.42% 18,897 62.58% 0 0.00%
1948 4,531 25.73% 11,530 65.46% 1,552 8.81%
1944 3,690 22.43% 12,763 77.57% 0 0.00%
1940 2,491 14.40% 14,810 85.60% 0 0.00%
1936 2,189 14.60% 12,804 85.40% 0 0.00%
1932 2,770 25.94% 7,559 70.78% 351 3.29%
1928 8,723 66.06% 4,482 33.94% 0 0.00%
1924 3,093 37.95% 4,837 59.34% 221 2.71%
1920 3,550 43.31% 4,646 56.69% 0 0.00%
1916 1,837 42.72% 2,463 57.28% 0 0.00%
1912 124 3.52% 2,197 62.31% 1,205 34.17%
1908 1,820 49.35% 1,859 50.41% 9 0.24%
1904 1,080 40.10% 1,603 59.52% 10 0.37%
1900 2,026 45.86% 2,373 53.71% 19 0.43%
1896 1,924 43.62% 2,435 55.20% 52 1.18%
1892 1,264 35.93% 1,490 42.35% 764 21.72%
1888 1,618 45.77% 1,835 51.91% 82 2.32%
1884 1,193 42.79% 1,595 57.21% 0 0.00%


Communities

Map of Durham County, North Carolina, With Municipal and Township Labels

The city of Durham is the only incorporated municipality to predominantly exist within Durham County, and the only one whose urban core lies within the county, though small portions of municipalities from neighboring counties extend into Durham County, and the city of Durham also itself extends slightly into neighboring counties. All other towns and places within Durham County are unincorporated communities.

Cities

  • Durham (county seat and largest city, Small portions extend into Wake and Orange counties)
  • Raleigh (small part, mostly in Wake County)

Towns

Townships

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

See also

Coordinates: 36°02′N 78°52′W / 36.04°N 78.87°W / 36.04; -78.87


This page was last updated at 2022-09-12 02:51 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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