Durham County and Its Homes
Durham County grew 8 percent from 2020 to 2025, to 347,240 people by the Census Bureau's estimate, in about 153,000 housing units.
Its one town of its own, Durham, has a page here. About 90 percent of Durham County's housing units are inside town limits, the rest in unincorporated areas.
Durham County at a Glance
- Population: 347,240 (2025), 322,465 (2020)
- Housing units: about 153,000
- Median year built: 1993 (North Carolina: 1991)
- Built before 1980: 31% (statewide: 34%)
- Detached houses: 55%
- Owner-occupied: 55%
- Heated with electricity: 59% (statewide: 65%)
- Climate zone: 3 (2021 map), 4 (state code)
- Towns with pages here: 1
Census Bureau estimates for Durham County (housing: 2020 to 2024).
Towns and Communities in Durham County
Durham
305,561 people · median home 1995 · Duke Energy
Chapel Hill
Orange County town · about 2,900 residents in Durham County
Raleigh
Wake County town · about 1,700 residents in Durham County
Morrisville
Wake County town · about 250 residents in Durham County
Unincorporated communities the Census Bureau maps in Durham County: Gorman and Rougemont.
What We Do in Durham County
Attic Insulation in Durham County
Some 31 percent of Durham County housing units predate 1980; joists showing above their insulation mean more blown-in fiberglass is due, R-49 from bare.
Attic Insulation Removal in Durham County
Wet, moldy or animal-soiled insulation comes out of Durham County attics, and a mouse-soiled Durham County attic is sanitized and deodorized; in the 14 percent of homes built before 1960, vermiculite is ruled out first.
Air Sealing in Durham County
Some 59 percent of Durham County homes heat with electricity, often through attic ducts; their joints and the ceiling's gaps are sealed first.
Homes in Durham County
Half of Durham County's 153,000 housing units were built before 1993: 21 percent before 1970, 31 percent before 1980 (nearly all before the state's 1978 insulation rule) and 24 percent in 2010 or later. The largest share went up in the 2010s; in attics that new, check the air sealing as well as the depth.
Durham County by type: 55 percent detached houses and 35 percent in buildings of two or more homes. In Durham County, 59 percent of homes heat with electricity and 37 percent with piped gas.
Durham County Homes by Year Built
- Before 1940: about 7,390 units, 5% (±1)
- 1940s: about 5,200 units, 3% (±1)
- 1950s: about 8,070 units, 5% (±1)
- 1960s: about 10,790 units, 7% (±1)
- 1970s: about 15,770 units, 10% (±1)
- 1980s: about 22,010 units, 14% (±1)
- 1990s: about 21,250 units, 14% (±1)
- 2000s: about 26,210 units, 17% (±1)
- 2010s: about 30,330 units, 20% (±1)
- 2020 or later: about 6,000 units, 4% (±1)
Climate Across Durham County
NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for Durham County towns, by station: Durham station (Durham): about 3,750 heating and 1,350 cooling degree days. NOAA's Raleigh-Durham International Airport station, 10 miles from Durham, has about 3,150 heating and 1,800 cooling degree days.
Power and Gas in Durham County
The card lists Durham County's town and countryside utilities by the territory maps; a power bill confirms the one at an address. The territory map does not split Duke Energy's two North Carolina companies in Durham County; their programs are the same, and the power bill names the one at an address.
Enbridge Gas North Carolina holds the Durham County gas franchise (NC Utilities Commission map), and 37 percent of Durham County homes heat with piped gas.
Who Supplies Power in Durham County
- Duke Energy: Durham
- Wake Electric: homes near Durham
- Piedmont Electric Cooperative: other parts of Durham County
Energy Programs for Durham County Homes
Check each program's current terms for a Durham County home; some pay only through the utility's contractor network. Insulation Pros is an approved Duke Energy trade ally for Duke's rebate.
Programs for Durham County
- Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Duke Energy rebate; Durham).
- Attic Insulation and Duct Sealing Rebates (Piedmont Electric Cooperative; parts of Durham County): member rebates for bringing attic insulation up to at least R-38 and for duct sealing, installed by a contractor.
- Home Energy House Call (Duke Energy home assessment; Durham).
- Home Energy Advisor (Piedmont Electric Cooperative; parts of Durham County): free home energy analysis.
- Income-qualified Weatherization (Duke Energy income-qualified; Durham).
- ThermWise Weatherization Assistance (Enbridge Gas; Durham County gas customers): no-cost weatherization for gas customers, income-qualified.
- Energy Saver North Carolina (statewide income-qualified; any Durham County address).
- Weatherization Assistance Program (statewide income-qualified; any Durham County address).
Durham County Insulation FAQs
Do you serve all of Durham County?
Yes: Durham, the parts of Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Morrisville inside Durham County, and every unincorporated Durham County address.
Which utilities offer insulation rebates in Durham County?
Duke Energy's Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Durham); Piedmont Electric Cooperative's Attic Insulation and Duct Sealing Rebates (parts of Durham County).
Does attic insulation in Durham County need a permit?
Ask Durham Permits & Inspections before work starts. For an address in Durham, the town or city hall can tell you whether Durham County's office handles its permits.
Counties Near Durham County
Orange County · Wake County · Granville County · Person County · Alamance County · All service areas
Durham County, NC
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)Insulation Pros in Durham County
An insulation contractor serving North Carolina, Durham County included.
Send the square footage of your Durham County attic, or call (336) 870-3893.