Wilmington, NC

Census place 3774440 · pop 120,805

D53/ 100
😐 Meh
D
in NC
📍 North Carolina ranks #16 of 50 states →
🏆 Bad air0 days · top 15%
🚽 Inequality0.52 · bottom 6%
💡 Did you know?

A busy film and TV production hub nicknamed 'Hollywood East,' and home to the WWII battleship USS North Carolina.

Source ↗
Taxes
0.67% property · US 0.99%7.00% sales · US 7.00%3.99% flat income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Income inequality0.526

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.52 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Homeownership47.6%12

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

47.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Natural disaster riskCounty-level99/10017

U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities

99/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Poverty rate16.0%30

U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities

16.0% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Housing cost$383,80032

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$383,800 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Population growth (5yr)+0.5%33

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

+0.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Median household income$66,73839

U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities

$66,738 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Poor mental health17.4%46

U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities

17.4% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Broadband access91.3%47

U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities

91.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Uninsured adults9.6%49

U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities

9.6% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Rent$1,674/mo56

U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities

$1,674/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Adult smoking12.2%61

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

12.2% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Physical inactivity22.2%66

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

22.2% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Adult obesity31.9%67

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

31.9% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Air quality (AQI)County-level39 AQI73

U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities

39 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Unemployment rateCounty-level3.1%75

U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities

3.1% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Property-tax burden0.67%77

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.67% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Bachelor's degree or higher46.8%78

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

46.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Commute time18 min84

U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities

18 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level0 days85

U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities

0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Not measured for Wilmington: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.

Frequently asked

Is Wilmington, NC a good place to live?
By the numbers, Wilmington scores 53/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is unhealthy air days and its weakest is income inequality. North Carolina overall ranks #16 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
Is Wilmington, NC expensive to live in?
Wilmington has a median home value of $383,800 and typical rent around $1,674/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Wilmington, NC?
Its weakest measured area is income inequality (0.52) — 6/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Wilmington, NC best at?
Its strongest measured area is unhealthy air days (0 days) — 85/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: A busy film and TV production hub nicknamed 'Hollywood East,' and home to the WWII battleship USS North Carolina.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.