Commercial Real Estate Market in Durham, NC
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: August 31
598 active listings and 7,743 off-market properties in Durham, NC. Commercial property asks $202/SF to buy and $33.99/SF/Yr to lease.
Market Trends
Durham, NC spans 233.3 square miles in Durham County, North Carolina. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 31 August 2026.
Office
Office vacancy in Durham, NC runs 20.2% across the South region in 2025, up from 14.4% in 2019.
Vacancy Rate % in South region
Retail
Retail vacancy in Durham, NC runs 5.4% across the South region in 2025, down from 7% in 2020.
Vacancy Rate % in South region
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Durham, NC runs 7.9% across the South region in 2025, up from 6% in 2019. Nearly 2.3x the 2022 low of 3.5%.
Vacancy Rate % in South region
Multifamily
Multifamily space in Durham, NC asks $214/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 11.3% across the South region in 2025, up from 8.5% in 2022.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in South region
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Residential 30.6%
- Planned_development 23.7%
- Civic 20.5%
- Industrial 17.4%
- Commercial 7%
- Mixed use 0.7%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Planned Development Residential
Residential Suburban 20
Residential Suburban 10
Industrial Light
Residential Rural
Planned Development Residential (PDR)
The PDR District is established to allow for design flexibility in residentialdevelopment. The district is intended to encourage efficient use of the land and public services and to promote high quality design that will provide a variety of dwelling types as well as adequate support services andopen spacefor the residents of thedevelopment. The district regu…
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Durham, NC has 306,633 residents in 140,959 households. Density runs 1,314 people per square mile. Median household income here is $79,178 and median gross rent $1,416 a month.
306,633
Population
140,959
Households
2.2
Avg Household Size
35
Median Age
53%
College-Educated
90%
High-School Grad
233.3 sq mi
ZIP Area
1,314
Density / Sq Mi
$79,178
Median Household Income
$47,567
Median Earnings
$1,416
Median Rent
$361,891
Median Home Value
Tools
Nearby Markets
| Market | Average Sale Price, $/SF | Average Lease Price, $/SF/Yr |
|---|---|---|
| Chapel Hill | — | — |
| Northside | — | — |
| Bahama | — | — |
| Butner | — | — |
Commercial property in Durham, NC asks $202/SF.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per square foot for commercial property in Durham?
Commercial property in Durham, NC asks an average of $202 per square foot. The 6 most recent recorded sales traded at a median of $239/SF. Multifamily carries the highest asking price at $214/SF.
How much does it cost to lease commercial space in Durham?
Asking lease rates in Durham, NC average $33.99 per square foot per year.
Where does Realmo's Durham market data come from?
Realmo compiles Durham, NC figures from 6 recent recorded sales, 477 active sale listings, 121 active lease listings, 7,743 tracked off-market properties, the current Durham zoning release. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 31 August 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 477 active for-sale and 121 active for-lease listings in Durham, NC. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 77,592 zoned acres across 54 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 31 August 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- office vacancy is reported at South region level, retail vacancy is reported at South region level and industrial vacancy is reported at South region level.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 31 August 2026 · report a data issue
