Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Public schools that outperform most of California.
Durham grades C+ overall, ranked 252nd of 841 in California, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. On the other side, homes are expensive, about $603K for a typical one and 8.9 times the Chico metro’s $68K median household income. It also does better than most on schools: its schools rank ahead of 72% of California towns. Durham’s peak summer temperature is 96°F, against 89°F in California’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns. Only 103 of California’s 1,064 towns score higher on hazard risk. Durham has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them W. W. Durham House and Patrick Ranch House.
Where Durham beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Durham is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 4,784 in 1990, 5,834 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 5 maps from 1912 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Durham is unincorporated, so Butte County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Durham.
Durham has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with Chico and other neighbors.
Federal aid has come to Durham households in 4 declared disasters; the latest was in 2023. Compared with 77% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is higher. FEMA puts 55% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 38% to earthquakes. Paid flood insurance claims in the town since 1998: one.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Two of its 3 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. Its public schools are run by the Durham Unified school district. The largest public high school is Durham High, with 320 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 495 | B+ |
| Durham HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 320 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
The share of adults 25 and older in Durham who hold a bachelor’s degree or more: 40%. People 65 and older are 27% of residents (16% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 19% of residents (24% statewide). Its midpoint age is 50.8 years.
| Durham | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.8 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 27% | 16% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 18% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 29% | 29% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.5 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Durham | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.6% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.2% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.8% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.9% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.5% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.6% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.8% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.9% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 18% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 28.6% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.1% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.5% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17.8% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
In Durham, 6.2% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance. Against the California average, Durham comes out ahead on 10 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 7. Two figures for adults here: 32% feel lonely, 75% had a checkup this year.
| Durham | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 36% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 72% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 22% | 23% |
| What stands out | Durham | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.2% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.8% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.2% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Orland weather station, 23 miles away, records that about 92 days a year reach 90°, more than in 95% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 96°, hotter than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 38.6°.
The January low for Durham comes to 39°F. Snow is a rarity.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Home values are up 3.7% over the year to September 2026. The midpoint rent in Durham is $1,105 a month. For households here, the share who are owner-occupiers is 71%.
| Durham | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,105 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Durham has about as many jobs (2,131) as working residents, but only 261 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 18.1 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
The top destinations are Chico (39%), Oroville (7%) and Yuba City (2%). For Durham, the average commute is 18 minutes. Employers in Durham added 446 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 2,131. Only just over a tenth of working residents stay in Durham for work; the rest commute out.
| Durham | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Median household income | $95,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Durham’s concentration of trails stands at 0.3 miles per square mile. There are 25 miles of trail across 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Durham Community Park, at 22 acres.
| Durham | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.3% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Durham Community Park | — | 22 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Durham. Close and well known come first.
17 mi DamOroville Dam
28 mi MountainSutter Buttes
9 mi Park & preserveBidwell Park
12 mi MuseumChico Air Museum
8 mi MuseumMuseum of Northern California Art
39 mi MuseumSacramento Valley MuseumOroville Dam: California Department of Water Resources, Public domain · Sutter Buttes: Expedition 32 crew/NASA, Public domain · Bidwell Park: Saopaulo1 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Chico Air Museum: Bsudicky, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Museum of Northern California Art: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sacramento Valley Museum: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain
3 within 15 miles of the center of Durham
About 8 of every 100 Durham residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
2 places in Durham on the National Register of Historic Places.
Census-designated place in California, United States
Durham is a census-designated place (CDP) in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 5,834 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Durham.
Durham reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Durham with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Durham grades C+ overall, better than 44% of U.S. towns and #252 of 841 in California. It grades B+ for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
