Housing data for Wilmington, NC
Wilmington, NC has an estimated 120,805 residents and 62,836 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in New Hanover County.
52.4% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,395 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+0.5%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 120,805 (±73)
- Housing units
- 62,836 (±918)
- Households that rent
- 52.4%
- Median gross rent
- $1,395
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +0.5%
What stands out in Wilmington
Households that rent: 52.4% (±1.9 points) in Wilmington, higher than in New Hanover County (38.6%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 31.5% (±2.1 points) in Wilmington, higher than in New Hanover County (22.2%).
Median real estate taxes: $2,558 (±$88) in Wilmington, higher than in New Hanover County ($2,105).
Rental vacancy rate: 4.8% (±1.3 points) in Wilmington, lower than in New Hanover County (7.4%).
- Renters and owners in Wilmington
- Types of homes in Wilmington
- Property taxes in Wilmington
- Vacancy rate in Wilmington
Housing in Wilmington at a glance
- Median rent: $1,395 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,428 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 56.4% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 52.4% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $66,738 median household income
- Home values: $383,800 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,020 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,558 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 31.5% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 51.1% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 38.0% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 4.8% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 84.4% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 18.5 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 405 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +0.5% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 37.0% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 1.2% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Wilmington against New Hanover County, its state and the nation
| Wilmington | New Hanover County | North Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 120,805 (±73) | 235,229 (exact) | 10,730,404 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 62,836 (±918) | 120,050 (±78) | 4,895,668 (±642) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 52.4% (±1.9 points) | 38.6% (±1.2 points) | 33.4% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,395 (±$37) | $1,417 (±$32) | $1,228 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $66,738 (±$2,914) | $75,166 (±$2,054) | $72,388 (±$324) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $383,800 (±$11,075) | $387,800 (±$7,095) | $288,900 (±$1,086) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,558 (±$88) | $2,105 (±$68) | $1,896 (±$8) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 38.0% (±2.1 points) | 30.6% (±1.4 points) | 33.9% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 18.5 minutes (±0.7) | 20.6 minutes (±0.6) | 25.1 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 91.3% (±1.2 points) | 93.3% (±0.8 points) | 90.1% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 37.1 years (±0.8) | 39.9 years (±0.4) | 39.1 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Wilmington covers 51.4 square miles of land, about 2,352 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Wilmington has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 120,194 (±58) | 120,805 (±73) | +0.5% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 58,649 (±729) | 62,836 (±918) | +7.1% | Measurable increase |
| Median gross rent | $998 (±$21) | $1,395 (±$37) | +39.8% | Up after inflation |
| Median home value | $246,400 (±$8,729) | $383,800 (±$11,075) | +55.8% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $47,580 (±$1,703) | $66,738 (±$2,914) | +40.3% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,576 (±$53) | $2,020 (±$86) | +28.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $2,115 (±$93) | $2,558 (±$88) | +20.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 55.5% (±1.4 points) | 52.4% (±1.9 points) | −3.1 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.3% (±1.1 points) | 4.8% (±1.3 points) | −0.5 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Wilmington
In 2025, the Wilmington Police Department reported 405 violent and 2,915 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across New Hanover County, the departments that report recorded 306 violent and 2,060 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Wilmington
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28403 | 100% | 40,319 | $1,380 | $386,700 | $54,547 |
| 28412 | 46% | 44,166 | $1,411 | $371,900 | $71,636 |
| 28409 | 44% | 36,163 | $1,405 | $422,600 | $111,048 |
| 28405 | 44% | 35,467 | $1,440 | $368,500 | $70,274 |
| 28401 | 23% | 22,007 | $1,274 | $298,500 | $57,968 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Wilmington
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kings Grant | 4.2 mi | $1,292 | $300,700 | 35.7% |
| Silver Lake | 4.8 mi | $1,416 | $325,500 | 17.8% |
| Wrightsville Beach | 5.0 mi | $2,336 | $1,168,700 | 19.2% |
| Myrtle Grove | 5.7 mi | $1,463 | $439,100 | 16.4% |
| Wrightsboro | 6.0 mi | $1,250 | $255,700 | 22.0% |
| Murraysville | 6.2 mi | $1,777 | $320,700 | 22.7% |
| Belville | 6.5 mi | $1,798 | $282,600 | 43.5% |
| Ogden | 6.7 mi | $2,867 | $463,700 | 11.4% |
Places in North Carolina most like Wilmington
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville | $1,402 | $440,000 | $71,102 | 48.1% |
| Hendersonville | $1,332 | $317,000 | $53,449 | 53.9% |
| Durham | $1,508 | $392,800 | $81,619 | 47.7% |
| Morehead City | $1,134 | $357,400 | $56,233 | 53.3% |
| Greensboro | $1,172 | $244,800 | $61,515 | 49.5% |
| Woodfin | $1,546 | $366,700 | $71,384 | 46.3% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across North Carolina.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Wilmington, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,187 | $1,566 | $1,705 | $2,238 | $2,241 |
HUD income limits for Wilmington, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $22,950 | $38,250 | $61,150 |
| 2 people | $26,200 | $43,700 | $69,900 |
| 3 people | $29,500 | $49,150 | $78,650 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $54,600 | $87,350 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $59,000 | $94,350 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $63,350 | $101,350 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $67,750 | $108,350 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $72,100 | $115,350 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Wilmington, NC HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $109,200.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Wilmington
What is the average rent in Wilmington, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Wilmington is $1,395 (±$37) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Wilmington?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Wilmington, NC is $1,240 (±$59) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Wilmington rent-burdened?
56.4% of renting households in Wilmington pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Wilmington?
Wilmington has an estimated 29,640 (±1,328) renting households, 52.4% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Wilmington?
The median household income in Wilmington is $66,738 (±$2,914) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Wilmington, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $383,800 (±$11,075) for owner-occupied homes in Wilmington (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Wilmington growing?
In Wilmington, the number of residents went from 120,194 in 2015–2019 to 120,805 in 2020–2024 (+0.5%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Wilmington?
The ZIP codes that cover Wilmington are 28403, 28412, 28409, 28405, 28401.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 28403?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 28403 is $1,380 (±$75) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Wilmington city, North Carolina
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Wilmington city, North Carolina
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Wilmington city, North Carolina
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Wilmington city, North Carolina
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Wilmington city, North Carolina
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Wilmington city, North Carolina
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Wilmington city, North Carolina
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Wilmington, NC HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Wilmington, NC HUD Metro FMR Area
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Wilmington Police Department (ORI NC0650200)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Wilmington city, North Carolina (place:74440, in state:37).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .