Triangle town named one of best places to live in the US (It’s not Raleigh)
Durham was ranked among the 50 best places in the country to live in a new report by Money magazine, an online publication.
Citing its job opportunities, prestigious universities, greenways and trails, its barbecue scene and relatively affordable housing costs, Money said Durham is “no one-trick pony.”
Last year, Raleigh and Chapel Hill made the list, ranking #4 and #12, respectively.
But this year’s list is not a ranking, which makes it different from many lists of years’ past. Instead, spotlighted cities are grouped into five categories that highlight their strengths:
Suburbs with a soul
Hidden gems
New boomtowns
Not just college towns (where Durham lands)
Culture hubs
To read the report and learn about the other places on the list, visit money.com/best-places-to-live.
Durham named among top 50 places to live in the US
Money Magazine calls Durham “the most affordable tip of the state’s prestigious ‘research triangle,’” which includes Raleigh and Chapel Hill. While housing costs have gone up across the state, both rent and median home prices tend to be more affordable in Durham than the other two spots, the report says.
Here’s what else Money Magazine highlighted:
▪ Universities: “Durham boasts Duke University and the historically Black college North Carolina Central University — both of which recently made Money’s list of best colleges,” Money Magazine wrote.
▪ Job opportunities: “Jobs are expected to grow 6% in the coming years, soundly above the national average. The state’s unemployment rate is also notably lower than North Carolina’s as a whole.”
▪ Black businesses: “The city is also a proud hub for Black entrepreneurs, with a long history of successful Black-owned enterprises,” Money Magazine wrote.
“Mechanics and Farmers (M&F) Bank, which played a pivotal role in helping build Black wealth in the early 1900s when other banks refused service to Black locals, still operates today out of a stunning historic building on Parrish Street.”
▪ Trails and greenways: “Durham’s got more than 1,600 acres of parklands, a 22-mile biking and walking trail, two city lakes, easy access to the multi-state East Coast Greenway and the gargantuan Duke Forest.”
▪ Restaurants and breweries: “A sizable number of breweries have sprouted up downtown. Thanks to legendary staples such as The Chicken Hut and the Backyard BBQ Pit, Durham is also garnering a national reputation as a soul-food and barbecue paradise,” Money Magazine wrote.
“At the American Tobacco Campus, a stunningly revitalized tobacco-factory complex, there’s no shortage of other restaurants, shops, markets and events to peruse.”
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