Is Durham, NC a Good Place to Live?
Yes, Durham, NC scores 71/100 on MoveScore (grade B, Good), based on 6 of six federal data sources. Safety score 59/100, with 403 violent and 2443 property incidents per 100k (FBI UCR). Public schools average 71/100 (NCES/EDFacts). Air quality grade C, median AQI 52 (EPA AQS).
Sub-Score Breakdown
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Safety (FBI UCR) | 59/100 (C) |
| Water (EPA SDWIS) | 78/100 (B) |
| Air (EPA AQS) | C · median AQI 52 |
| Schools (NCES) | 71/100 (B) |
| Fiscal health (Census) | 66/100 |
| Hospitals (CMS HCAHPS) | 4.3/5 · 4 tracked |
MoveScore blends six federal sub-scores, equal-weighted, normalized to 0-100.
This answer pulls from federal datasets including BLS, Census ACS, FBI Crime Data, NOAA Climate Normals, and NCES, the authoritative federal source for U.S. city relocation factors — cost, climate, wages, crime, education. The headline number above is the direct answer; what follows is the additional context most readers need to use the answer for a real decision rather than just a fact lookup.
For readers turning this answer into action: cross-reference against the underlying federal datasets including BLS, Census ACS, FBI Crime Data, NOAA Climate Normals, and NCES record before acting on time-sensitive decisions. The site renders the data as it was published; subsequent revisions can shift the picture, and the live federal data is always the authoritative current reference.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (cost), Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, 2026.