Residential comparison · 13 facts
Asheville, NC vs Wilmington, NC
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Asheville needs about $83,500 in Wilmington to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Wilmington, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $86,500 in Asheville.
A few differences
- Asheville is lower on property tax rate (0.7% vs 0.75%).
- Wilmington is lower on groceries index (101 vs 103).
- Asheville is higher on median household income ($61,000 vs $60,000).
Asheville vs Wilmington · facet by facet
| Facet | Asheville, NC | Wilmington, NC |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $480,000 | $420,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,800/mo | $1,650/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.7% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 3.15% | 3.15% |
| Sales tax | 7% | 7% |
| Cost of living index | 104 | 100 |
| Groceries index | 103 | 101 |
| Utilities | $145/mo | $150/mo |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $60,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.7% |
| Crime index | 42/100 | 47/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 209 days | 215 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Asheville, NC · Wilmington, NC
Questions & answers
- Is Asheville cheaper than Wilmington?
- Wilmington has the lower day-to-day cost index (100 vs 104 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Wilmington equals $85,000 in Asheville?
- A household earning $85,000 in Asheville needs about $83,500 in Wilmington to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Wilmington lifestyle costs about $86,500 in Asheville.