City comparison
Fort Worth, TX 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 $1,723 a month in Fort Worth and $1,711 in Durham, and median household income lands at $72,726 versus $74,710. 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 73% — 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 Fort Worth can feel further apart than Fort Worth and Durham do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Fort Worth and Durham reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.
Fort Worth, TX
Durham, NC
Rent
1% cheaper
Durham rent is 1% cheaper than Fort Worth
Fort Worth
$1,723/mo
Durham
Winner$1,711/mo
Typical rent runs $1,711 a month in Durham versus $1,723 in Fort Worth, so Durham is 1% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $12, or $144 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
3% higher
Durham's median income is 3% higher than Fort Worth
Fort Worth
$72,726
Durham
Winner$74,710
Median household income is $74,710 in Durham versus $72,726 in Fort Worth, so typical pay runs 3% higher in Durham — about $1,984 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
11% lower crime
Durham's crime index is 11% lower than Fort Worth
Fort Worth
109 (100 = avg)
Durham
Winner97 (100 = avg)
Durham's crime index is 97 versus 109 in Fort Worth (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 11% lower in Durham. The difference is noticeable without being night-and-day. You will still want to pick the neighborhood carefully in Durham, but you will usually spend less energy on constant vigilance than you would in Fort Worth. Tour both cities after dark before you let a modest index gap close the decision.
School scores
Neck and neck
Fort Worth and Durham are about even on school scores.
Fort Worth
A- · 84/100
Durham
A- · 84/100
School composites are effectively even (A- in Fort Worth, 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
73% more comfortable
Durham weather is 73% more comfortable than Fort Worth
Fort Worth
92°F typical
Durham
Winner79°F typical
Durham scores 73% more comfortable on this page's weather index, which rewards temperatures closer to a livable outdoor day. Typical temperatures sit around 92°F in Fort Worth and 79°F in Durham. Fort Worth reads as hot, long summers; Durham reads as warm weather most of the year. 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. Fort Worth 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
People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to Fort Worth
On these five categories Durham takes the scoreboard, so you should not choose Fort Worth because the stats are kinder — they are not. Choose Fort Worth 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.
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 3% 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 11% lower than Fort Worth (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 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
Ready to move to Durham?
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