Wilmington, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wilmington, NC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Wilmington | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 115,703 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2183.9 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.35% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.5 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 53,762 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wilmington grew by 16.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 115,703 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wilmington is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 27.7% of residents. That is 5.8 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 31,996 27.7% +5.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 23,095 20.0% -1.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 20,897 18.1% -2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 20,268 17.5% +0.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below North Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 53.7% of the people living in Wilmington and men 46.3%.
- Women 53.7% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 46.3% North Carolina 48.9%
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Economy
Wilmington has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Wilmington | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,868 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.37% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wilmington is about 8% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Wilmington | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $235,693 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,390 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 49.6% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wilmington is about 14.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,390 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wilmington spend about 33 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 139 hours, about 5.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wilmington | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.7 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 33.5 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 139 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,323 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 19.0% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 11,838 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,518 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Wilmington is 17 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in North Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Wilmington has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Wilmington | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.8% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.07 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Wilmington has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Wilmington | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.6 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.7% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.8% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wilmington, North Carolina.
How many people live in Wilmington, North Carolina?
About 115,703 people live in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 53,762 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 38.5, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Wilmington, North Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Wilmington, North Carolina has 2,184 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 25 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Wilmington, North Carolina an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.5 times the median household income ($235,693 against $66,868), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,390 a month takes about 25% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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