Residential comparison · 13 facts
Fayetteville, 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 Fayetteville needs about $92,000 in Wilmington to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Wilmington, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $78,000 in Fayetteville.
A few differences
- Wilmington is lower on property tax rate (0.75% vs 0.82%).
- Fayetteville is lower on groceries index (98 vs 101).
- Wilmington is higher on median household income ($60,000 vs $58,407).
Fayetteville vs Wilmington · facet by facet
| Facet | Fayetteville, NC | Wilmington, NC |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $188,000 | $420,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,174/mo | $1,650/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.82% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 3.15% | 3.15% |
| Sales tax | 7% | 7% |
| Cost of living index | 85 | 100 |
| Groceries index | 98 | 101 |
| Utilities | $155/mo | $150/mo |
| Median household income | $58,407 | $60,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.7% |
| Crime index | 48/100 | 47/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 213 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: Fayetteville, NC · Wilmington, NC
Questions & answers
- Is Fayetteville cheaper than Wilmington?
- Fayetteville has the lower day-to-day cost index (85 vs 100 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Wilmington equals $85,000 in Fayetteville?
- A household earning $85,000 in Fayetteville needs about $92,000 in Wilmington to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Wilmington lifestyle costs about $78,000 in Fayetteville.