DURHAM COUNTY
County Offices
200 East Main Street
Durham 919-560-0300
https://www.dconc.gov/
Chamber of Commerce
300 West Morgan Street
Durham 919-328-8700
https://durhamchamber.org/
Durham County is anchored by its only municipality and the seat of county government, the vibrant city of Durham. Several smaller unincorporated communities also dot the rural landscape of picturesque townships. Diverse and multi-faceted, the county is home to part of the Research Triangle Park as well as Duke University and leading healthcare centers that have crowned Durham as the “City of Medicine, USA.”
Services
Newcomers to Durham County can look forward to exceptional healthcare services and facilities. The city of Durham has evolved into a national healthcare hub, where nearly one in three residents is employed in a health or medical-related industry. Durham County claims one of the nation’s top five concentrations of physicians per capita. Bright, top-notch skilled professionals are in abundance in this region, which encompasses the influence of major medical centers like the Duke University School of Medicine as well as ongoing medical research and growing clinical opportunities. Six well-respected hospitals are at the heart of Durham’s reputation: Duke University Hospital & Medical Center, Duke Children’s Hospital & McGovern-Davison Health Center, Durham Regional Hospital, Durham Veteran’s Administration Medical Center, Lenox Baker Children’s Hospital, and North Carolina Eye & Ear Hospital. Research Triangle Park, the largest university-related research park in the world is based in Durham County and encompassed by the city of Durham.
As would be expected in such a vibrant and innovative region, the quality of education is superb. Well-managed public school districts combine with an array of private school options for students from preschool through 12th grade. Durham County also boasts the nation’s first public residential high school with a strong emphasis on science and math: the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Vocational, career, and technical training opportunities include the degree and certification programs at Durham Technical Community College. Technologically advancing the entire region, three nationally and internationally recognized doctoral research universities include the private Duke University in Durham, North Carolina State University in Raleigh, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Eight additional colleges and universities include the rapidly-ascending North Carolina Central University in Durham County. Duke University’s research expenditures are among the largest 20 in the nation, and its athletic program is one of America’s most elite. In addition to preeminent academics, research, and athletics, Duke is also well known for its sprawling campus and magnificent Gothic architecture, particularly Duke Chapel. The forests that surround some sections of the campus are used for research but also belie the University’s proximity to downtown Durham.
Lifestyle
Newcomers arriving in Durham County will soon discover what those who call this area “home” have always known: the grass really is greener here. Durham continues to sweep the media as well as business and lifestyle studies by taking top honors in a wide variety of categories. Some of the recent awards include “Best Small City for Relocating Families, one of the “Best Places to Live in the USA,” one of the “Best Green Places in America,” and a Tree City USA winner for more than two decades. The city of Durham has also been celebrated as one of the nation’s best walking cities and is among the “Top 100 Best Communities for Young People.” Add to that a listing among the “The Hottest Business Market in the Country” and inclusion among those cities where “Business Opportunity Is Greatest For Growing Companies.” The entire Raleigh-Durham Area has been garnering national and international accolades, year after year.
Greater Durham’s dynamic quality of life and evident commitment to the arts and culture are major factors in the area’s growing popularity. The housing opportunities are exceptionally attractive, including well-tended and prestigious neighborhoods surrounding Duke and North Carolina Central universities and Research Triangle Park. Choices range from charming historic homes on tree-canopied streets to renovated downtown lofts or planned communities with recreational amenities like lakes, golf courses, tennis courts, and lavish clubhouses. Throughout Durham County’s rural townships are abundant opportunities for a wide variety of picturesque home sites for custom builds.
The arts are well-represented in this area, where celebrated universities stimulate the cultural as well as the intellectual aspects of the community. Fine art galleries, art museums, performance spaces, stellar talent, and welcoming stages for visiting companies and groups fill the calendar with days to anticipate. The all-new Durham Performing Arts Center stands in a class of its own as the largest venue of its kind in the Carolinas and was specifically designed to showcase the biggest events on tour, from Broadway musicals to comedy. Recreational opportunities are equally rich, including world-class golfing, nature centers, sprawling parks, science and other fine museums, greenways and trails, and preserved land for outdoor adventure. Lakes and rivers are available for water-sport enthusiasts. Within the city, residents enjoy a wide variety of developed resources, from recreation centers to sports fields and courts or private sports clubs. Little wonder that everyone who experiences Durham wants to stay.
Durham
City Offices
919-560-1200
https://www.durhamnc.gov/
Chamber of Commerce
919-328-8700
https://durhamchamber.org/
Some will recognize Durham as “Bull City” for the historic “Bull” Durham Tobacco company while others think of it as the “City of Medicine,” its most recent transformation. Regardless of the connotation, Durham is alive with more than 40 annual festivals, hundreds of restaurants, minor league baseball, art and science museums, and world-class medical facilities. Drawing newcomers to a dynamic college-town atmosphere, Durham is home to the sprawling and beautiful campuses for Duke University and North Carolina Central University. The city is ideally located between the Great Smokey Mountains and the Atlantic Beaches and has been praised for its idyllic climate as well as for lifestyle and economic strength. However, the popularity of the city doesn’t stop with local residents. More than five million visitors and vacationers come to Durham each year, placing the city as the top-rated destination for those who arrive at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Fine dining, great shopping, lush parks, well-developed recreational facilities, a responsive government, and first-rate services underline a truly beautiful cityscape and welcoming neighborhoods to crown Durham with pure livability.
