Photo: Maria Miracoli · CC BY-SA 4.03,198 homes sold in Durham in the last year, at a typical $423K
About one sale in 4 is a condo. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Durham homes are listed.
Every place Durham homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Durham.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
5% of Durham’s sales are condos, at $169K more than a house
2345 houses and 155 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 2345 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $241NC $207
- Days to sell
- 39
- Sold over asking
- 23%
- Listings with a price cut
- 36%
typical sale · 155 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $494NC $275
- Days to sell
- 213
- Sold over asking
- 5%
- Listings with a price cut
- 24%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 46 sold, typical $364K
Townhouses: 652 sold, typical $363K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2022, at twice the 2016 price
3,198 sales in the last year, against 5,001 in 2021 and a low of 2,992 in 2012. The typical sale went from $212K in 2016 to $423K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $400K buys in Durham
Check a listing against what Durham homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Durham are rarer than before the pandemic, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of Durham’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 3,198 sales.
If you’re buying in Durham
- Shop in March. It brings about 479 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (38% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 34% of listings have cut their price, against 17% before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 98.2% of the list price on average; 21% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 35% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 44 days.
Spring brings the homes; summer brings the bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 482 a month), but June is the most competitive: 48% of June sales close over asking. March offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (38%). January has the least competition (30%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like North Carolina as a whole
| Durham now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | NC now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 21% | 39% | 63% | 17% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 35% | 48% | 64% | 30% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 34% | 17% | 10% | 27% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 98.2% | 99.8% | 104.3% | 97.8% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 44 | 45 | 34 | 62 |
952 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.8 times the 2024 low (533), about the 2017–19 level and well under 2012’s 1616.
1 in 3 listings has cut its price
34% in the last year, against 17% in 2017–19 and 27% across North Carolina. More sellers are pricing high and coming down.
Since 2019, houses are up 57%, condos 100%
A house typically sold for $451K in the last year (2345 sales), a condo for $620K (155).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Durham ranks 46th of 224 busy North Carolina markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Durham is one of the state’s hottest markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Durham home costs about $2,500 a month
Price: Durham’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Durham’s 0.8% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Durham is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 210.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $423K home, about $3,510 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Durham, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in DurhamCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
No busy market nearby sells for less a square foot; Carrboro for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Durham, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham | 3,198 | $423K | $231 | 21% | 44 |
| Chapel Hill | 532 | $576K | $282 | 24% | 43 |
| Carrboro | 204 | $595K | $289 | 28% | 36 |
| Morrisville | 194 | $548K | $246 | 11% | 49 |
| Hillsborough | 155 | $442K | $236 | 20% | 35 |
| Governors Club | 40 | $1.1M | $264 | 10% | 96 |
| Governors Village | 20 | $591K | $250 | 15% | 42 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Durham, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Durham. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Durham with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Durham
What do homes sell for in Durham, NC?
3,198 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $423K, $231 a square foot. Houses sold for about $451K, condos for about $620K.
Is Durham a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 1068 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 364 sold, about 2.9 months of supply. Buyers paid 98.2% of asking on average, and 34% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Durham?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Durham?
About 0.8% of a home’s value a year. On a $423K home that’s near $3,510.
Where can I see homes for sale in Durham?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Durham’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Durham.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).