New Hanover County · North Carolina · South · 121k residents
Wilmington, NC: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Wilmington: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the North Carolina median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
The median home value in Wilmington is $420,000, 36% above the North Carolina median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,650/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 100 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $60,000 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findingsLimited coverage: This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A Cape Fear port city where film history, riverfront walks, and nearby beaches set the pace.
Known for: Riverwalk, film production, beaches, historic homes, and coastal food.
Calendar note: The Azalea Festival is the city’s signature annual celebration.
Story source: Wilmington and Beaches
- Scale: A mid-sized city with a population between 50,000 and 250,000 in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Wilmington about 8 miles from the nearest tracked ocean.
- Climate signal: The profile records 215 sunny days and 1 inches of annual snow.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 33 and an average commute of 21 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Wilmington side by side
Cost of living index
100
Median home value
$420,000
2-bedroom rent
$1,650/mo
Median household income
$60,000
Housing momentum
How fast Wilmington's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
41/100
Steady
Ranks Wilmington's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Wilmington's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| Median home value | $420,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $260 |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,450/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,650/mo |
| State & local income tax | 3.15% |
| Sales tax | 7% |
| Cost of living index | 100 |
| Groceries index | 101 |
| Utilities | $150/mo |
| Transit pass | $40/mo |
| Gas price | $3.10/gal |
| Healthcare index | 101 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,150/mo |
| Median household income | $60,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% |
| Population | 121k |
| Crime index | 47/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 |
| Walkability | 33/100 |
| Disaster risk | 96/100 |
| Avg. commute | 21 min |
| Sunny days / year | 215 days |
| July high | 90°F |
| January low | 36°F |
| Annual snowfall | 1 in |
| Home price YoY | -1.1% |
| Home price MoM | 0.0% |
| Rent YoY | +2.3% |
| Rent MoM | +0.3% |
| Ocean coast | 8 mi |
| Big lake | 161 mi |
| Mountains | 254 mi |
| Major airport | 124 mi |
| Ski resort | 258 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Murraysville, NC · 16k
- Leland, NC · 30k
- Jacksonville, NC · 71k
- Lumberton, NC · 19k
- Kinston, NC · 20k
Similar size
- High Point, NC · 116k
- Concord, NC · 109k
- Asheville, NC · 95k
- Greenville, NC · 93k
- Gastonia, NC · 83k
Real listings in Wilmington
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Wilmington, NC?
- Wilmington indexes at 100 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,650/mo and a median home value of $420,000.
- How much does a house cost in Wilmington?
- The median home value in Wilmington is $420,000, 36% above the North Carolina median (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Wilmington?
- A two-bedroom in Wilmington rents for about $1,650/mo.