Substance Use and Abuse in Durham County - Stablerack

Population (in 1,000's)
Demographics of Durham County
Understanding the demographics of a community is helpful for understanding the population’s
needs. This information can be helpful in planning prevention and services. According to the 2010
U.S. Census, the estimated population of Durham County in 2011 was 273,392 (6). Children under
the age of 18 account for 22.7% of Durham’s population (vs. 23.7% in NC), while those over the
age of 65 account for 10.0% (vs. 13.2% in NC) (6).
Durham is particularly diverse when compared to NC as a whole. According to projections of the
2010 Census, in 2011 half of Durham was White (53.5%), relative to 72.1% of NC; 38.5% African-
American, relative to 22.0% of the state; 13.5% Hispanic or Latino origin, compared to 8.6% in NC;
and 4.7% Asian, relative to 2.3% in the state (6). Moreover, 14.0% of people in Durham reported
being foreign born which is nearly double the statewide figure of 7.4%(6, 7).
Figure 1 shows how the population of Durham County has grown from 2000 to 2011. Over this
time the population of Durham County grew by about 22%. While the total population in each of
the racial and ethnic populations has increased, the growth in the Hispanic population has grown
from 8% of the population to 13% (a 112% growth rate) (8).
120
108,925
White- Not Hispanic,
117,861
100
80
89,537 Black- Not Hispanic,
104,594
60
40
20
0
17,431
7,977
Hispanic- All Races,
36,893
Asian or Pacific
Islander- Not Hispanic,
13,070
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Source: USDHHS, CDC, NCHS, Bridged-Race Population Estimates
[Figure 1]
Durham County population growth by race/ethnicity, 2000-2011
Substance Use and Abuse in Durham County 12