City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO versus Durham, NC is a real move, not a trivia matchup. This comparison uses the same 2026 neighborhood report data we publish on each city page — typical rent, median household income, crime indexes, school composites, and typical weather — so you can see which city actually fits how you live, work, and spend. Typical rents sit near $1,735 a month in Colorado Springs and $1,711 in Durham, and median household income lands at $79,026 versus $74,710. Open either city's full report when you want the block-level detail behind these headlines.
Colorado Springs takes job market and weather, while Durham takes affordability and safety. The widest gap is crime index, where Durham leads by 29% — the kind of spread you feel in a monthly budget or a nightly walk, not just on a chart. Read the category rows as a filter: if cheaper housing would change your life more than a stronger job market, weight rent first. If you are moving with kids, weight schools and crime. If you picked a city after one good weekend, use the weather and income rows to test whether that weekend survives a full year.
Numbers below are citywide, not a guarantee about the street you will actually live on. Two ZIP codes in Colorado Springs can feel further apart than Colorado Springs and Durham do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Colorado Springs and Durham reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.
Colorado Springs, CO
Durham, NC
Rent
1% cheaper
Durham rent is 1% cheaper than Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs
$1,735/mo
Durham
Winner$1,711/mo
Typical rent runs $1,711 a month in Durham versus $1,735 in Colorado Springs, so Durham is 1% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $24, or $288 a year — noticeable, but rent alone should not pick the city. Use this as a tie-breaker after you compare income, schools, and crime, unless you are already stretching every dollar.
Median income
6% higher
Colorado Springs's median income is 6% higher than Durham
Colorado Springs
Winner$79,026
Durham
$74,710
Median household income is $79,026 in Colorado Springs versus $74,710 in Durham, so typical pay runs 6% higher in Colorado Springs — about $4,316 more household income a year. The income edge is modest. Treat it as extra negotiating context, not a reason to ignore rent, schools, or climate. Remote workers especially should not treat citywide pay as a personal raise if their employer will not localize salary.
Crime index
29% lower crime
Durham's crime index is 29% lower than Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs
137 (100 = avg)
Durham
Winner97 (100 = avg)
Durham's crime index is 97 versus 137 in Colorado Springs (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 29% lower in Durham. That gap is meaningful day-to-day — it affects whether you feel comfortable walking at night, leaving your car on the street, or letting kids play outside unsupervised. Indexes still compress a lot of reality: a calmer city has blocks you would skip, and a higher-crime city has streets that feel neighborly at 10 p.m. On the everyday test of walking from the car to the door, Durham is the easier city. Colorado Springs can still work if you pick the right pocket — just budget more diligence before you sign a lease.
School scores
Neck and neck
Colorado Springs and Durham are about even on school scores.
Colorado Springs
A- · 84/100
Durham
A- · 84/100
School composites are effectively even (A- in Colorado Springs, A- in Durham). For families with kids this is a warning if you assumed one city was obviously better — at this range the campus, not the city name, decides it. Tour the zoned elementary you would actually use.
Typical weather
6% more comfortable
Colorado Springs weather is 6% more comfortable than Durham
Colorado Springs
Winner77°F typical
Durham
79°F typical
Colorado Springs scores 6% more comfortable on this page's weather index, which rewards temperatures closer to a livable outdoor day. Typical temperatures sit around 77°F in Colorado Springs and 79°F in Durham. Colorado Springs reads as warm weather most of the year; Durham reads as warm weather most of the year. The comfort edge is real but not a personality transplant. If you already know you want Durham's season, a modest index lead should not talk you out of it. If you are undecided, Colorado Springs is the city where the forecast fights you less.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside plus year-round outdoor access
It is also a match for career-focused movers who want salary upside and year-round outdoor access. Median household income runs 6% higher ($79,026), and typical weather is the more comfortable of the two — around 77°F. That pairing is for people who will work hard and then actually use the evenings.
Fit check
Families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy
Durham is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 1% cheaper here at about $1,711 a month. Choose Durham if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
Durham is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 29% lower than Colorado Springs (97 vs a 100 national average). That gap shows up in how freely you walk at night and how much attention you spend on the car and the deadbolt.
Bottom line
If safety is your priority, Durham is the clear choice.
If the job market matters more to you, Colorado Springs pulls ahead.
For most movers comparing these two cities, Durham offers the better overall package.
Common questions
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