City comparison
Durham, NC versus North Las Vegas, NV 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 $1,711 a month in Durham and $1,735 in North Las Vegas, and median household income lands at $74,710 versus $71,774. Open either city's full report when you want the block-level detail behind these headlines.
Durham takes affordability, job market, safety, and weather. The widest gap is typical weather, where Durham leads by 212% — 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 Durham can feel further apart than Durham and North Las Vegas do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Durham and North Las Vegas reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.
Durham, NC
North Las Vegas, NV
Rent
1% cheaper
Durham rent is 1% cheaper than North Las Vegas
Durham
Winner$1,711/mo
North Las Vegas
$1,735/mo
Typical rent runs $1,711 a month in Durham versus $1,735 in North Las Vegas, 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
4% higher
Durham's median income is 4% higher than North Las Vegas
Durham
Winner$74,710
North Las Vegas
$71,774
Median household income is $74,710 in Durham versus $71,774 in North Las Vegas, so typical pay runs 4% higher in Durham — about $2,936 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
17% lower crime
Durham's crime index is 17% lower than North Las Vegas
Durham
Winner97 (100 = avg)
North Las Vegas
117 (100 = avg)
Durham's crime index is 97 versus 117 in North Las Vegas (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 17% 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. North Las Vegas can still work if you pick the right pocket — just budget more diligence before you sign a lease.
School scores
Neck and neck
Durham and North Las Vegas are about even on school scores.
Durham
A- · 84/100
North Las Vegas
A- · 84/100
School composites are effectively even (A- in Durham, A- in North Las Vegas). 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
212% more comfortable
Durham weather is 212% more comfortable than North Las Vegas
Durham
Winner79°F typical
North Las Vegas
100°F typical
Durham scores 212% more comfortable on this page's weather index, which rewards temperatures closer to a livable outdoor day. Typical temperatures sit around 79°F in Durham and 100°F in North Las Vegas. Durham reads as warm weather most of the year; North Las Vegas reads as hot, long summers. Climate affects quality of life more than most people anticipate when planning a move. Consider how much time you spend outdoors and whether extreme heat or cold impacts your mood or productivity. Durham is the better default if you want year-round outdoor access. North Las Vegas can still be right if you love that climate on purpose — beach heat, dry heat, or a real winter — but you cannot return a city's weather.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside plus year-round outdoor access
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.
It is also a match for career-focused movers who want salary upside and year-round outdoor access. Median household income runs 4% higher ($74,710), and typical weather is the more comfortable of the two — around 79°F. That pairing is for people who will work hard and then actually use the evenings.
Durham is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 17% lower than North Las Vegas (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.
Fit check
People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to North Las Vegas
On these five categories Durham takes the scoreboard, so you should not choose North Las Vegas because the stats are kinder — they are not. Choose North Las Vegas only if a job offer, family, a specific neighborhood, or a life you already started there outweighs the box score. Plenty of good moves ignore the aggregate; just do it on purpose.
Bottom line
If weather is your priority, Durham is the clear choice.
If safety matters more to you, Durham pulls ahead.
For most movers comparing these two cities, Durham offers the better overall package.
Common questions
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