| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | D | 144,450 | 32,853 | 180,912 | |
| 2020 | D | 144,688 | 32,459 | 179,914 | |
| 2016 | D | 121,250 | 28,350 | 156,134 | |
| 2012 | D | 111,224 | 33,769 | 146,735 | |
| 2008 | D | 103,456 | 32,353 | 136,897 | |
| 2004 | D | 74,524 | 34,614 | 109,651 | |
| 2000 | R | 30,150 | 53,907 | 84,604 | |
| 1996 | D | 49,186 | 27,825 | 80,910 | |
| 1992 | D | 47,331 | 27,581 | 82,682 | |
| 1988 | D | 35,441 | 29,928 | 65,883 | |
| 1984 | D | 32,244 | 29,185 | 61,584 | |
| 1980 | D | 24,969 | 19,276 | 47,901 | |
| 1976 | D | 22,425 | 18,945 | 41,533 | |
| 1972 | R | 15,566 | 25,576 | 41,667 | |
| 1968 | D | 16,563 | 12,705 | 42,810 | |
| 1964 | D | 22,874 | 15,264 | 38,138 | |
| 1960 | D | 19,298 | 14,322 | 33,620 | |
| 1956 | D | 13,835 | 13,226 | 27,061 | |
| 1952 | D | 18,897 | 11,301 | 30,198 | |
| 1948 | D | 11,530 | 4,531 | 17,613 | |
| 1944 | D | 12,763 | 3,690 | 16,453 | |
| 1940 | D | 14,810 | 2,491 | 17,301 | |
| 1936 | D | 12,804 | 2,189 | 14,993 | |
| 1932 | D | 7,559 | 2,770 | 10,680 | |
| 1928 | R | 4,482 | 8,723 | 13,205 | |
| 1924 | D | 4,837 | 3,093 | 8,151 | |
| 1920 | D | 4,646 | 3,550 | 8,196 | |
| 1916 | D | 2,463 | 1,837 | 4,300 | |
| 1912 | D | 2,197 | 124 | 3,526 | |
| 1908 | D | 1,859 | 1,820 | 3,688 | |
| 1904 | D | 1,603 | 1,080 | 2,693 | |
| 1900 | D | 2,373 | 2,026 | 4,418 | |
| 1896 | D | 2,435 | 1,924 | 4,411 | |
| 1892 | D | 1,490 | 1,264 | 3,518 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Home to Duke University and a majority-minority population, Durham County recorded a D+61.7 margin in 2024, making it North Carolina's most Democratic county by a wide measure and a reliable counterweight to the state's competitive statewide results.
The Democratic margin in Durham County reached its widest at seventy-one points in 1940. The margin in 2024 was sixty-two points — still decisive.
Durham County's loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $82,316, a 43% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 332,353 together describe a community whose political habits are deeply settled. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Orange County and Travis County.
