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CITY

Wilmington

North Carolina · 126,809 residents (2025 est.) · 51.414 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#230Largest by populationof 4,896126,809
The short version

Wilmington has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $66,738. The city has grown rapidly, with population up 59% since 2000. 47% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $383,800. 47% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, well above the US average, yet household income trails the national figure — a profile common to graduate-student tracts and academic hubs.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 37.1
US median: 38.9
More educated
47% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 73%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
120,805
+59%since 2000
from 75,838 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
2,350 / sq mi
+22%since 2009
from 1,932 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
37.1
+9%since 2000
from 34.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:126,809 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
49K69K88K108K127K1990201020202024Wilmington
2024121K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.1%(4,902)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.3%(5,145)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.1%(6,151)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.2%(8,756)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2411.8%(14,218)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414.7%(17,730)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.9%(14,337)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.8%(12,988)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412%(14,548)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.4%(12,551)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.5%(6,672)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.3%(2,807)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$66,738
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $31,099 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$49,405
+130%since 2000
from $21,503 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
44.8%
+22.0 ptssince 2009
from 22.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
16.0%
−3.6 ptssince 2000
from 19.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.520
+1%since 2010
from 0.517 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.5%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade7.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services6.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade6.1%
US avg: 9.9%
Public administration4.2%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance3.3%
US avg: 5.9%
Arts, entertainment, food2.8%
US avg: 1.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.7%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing1.8%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$383,800
+73%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $121,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,395
+27%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $602 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
47.6%
−1.0 ptssince 2000
from 48.6% in 2000
52.4% rent
Vacancy rate
9.9%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 11.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
23.3%
−8.9 ptssince 2009
from 32.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
53.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 54.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.8
−1%since 2009
from 5.8 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
67
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Wilmington on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic69.4%(52,639)
Black25.6%(19,423)
Hispanic / Latino2.6%(1,991)
Asian0.9%(677)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic69.9%(84,455)
Black14.4%(17,422)
Hispanic / Latino8.8%(10,612)
Asian1.3%(1,561)
Other5.6%(6,755)
Diversity Score
60
+14%since 2009
from 53 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.6%(4,338)
Honduran1.4%(1,691)
Puerto Rican1.4%(1,650)
South American0.8%(1,015)
Colombian0.4%(478)
Cuban0.4%(444)
Dominican0.3%(341)
Chilean0.2%(279)
Panamanian0.2%(233)
Guatemalan0.2%(194)
Spaniard0.2%(185)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Salvadoran0.1%(180)
Argentine0.1%(115)
Venezuelan0.1%(101)
Nicaraguan0.1%(83)
Asian origin
Korean0.4%(443)
Chinese0.3%(385)
Filipino0.2%(230)
Burmese0.1%(144)
Asian Indian0.1%(116)
Hmong0.1%(94)
Thai0%(35)
Cambodian0%(24)
Pakistani0%(22)
Japanese0%(13)
Kazakh0%(9)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(108)
Chamorro0%(42)
Ancestry
English14.9%(17,985)
Irish11.4%(13,830)
German10.9%(13,151)
Italian5.7%(6,851)
American4.7%(5,731)
Scottish2.9%(3,475)
French2.1%(2,586)
Polish2.1%(2,497)
Scotch-Irish1.9%(2,288)
British0.9%(1,037)
Dutch0.8%(975)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.7%(885)
Swedish0.7%(884)
Danish0.5%(563)
Greek0.5%(562)
Arab0.4%(539)
Russian0.4%(521)
Welsh0.4%(503)
Brazilian0.4%(463)
West Indian0.4%(449)
Czech0.3%(422)
Swiss0.3%(358)
Canadian0.3%(312)
Hungarian0.2%(301)
Ukrainian0.2%(255)
Lithuanian0.2%(250)
Lebanese0.2%(249)
Jamaican0.2%(205)
Slovak0.1%(172)
Austrian0.1%(170)
Croatian0.1%(167)
Australian0.1%(108)
Belgian0.1%(96)
Portuguese0.1%(83)
Ghanaian0.1%(70)
Finnish0.1%(68)
Palestinian0.1%(64)
Barbadian0.1%(61)
Romanian0%(55)
Jordanian0%(53)
Ethiopian0%(49)
Nigerian0%(48)
Haitian0%(43)
Israeli0%(39)
Armenian0%(36)
Iranian0%(35)
Serbian0%(32)
Moroccan0%(26)
Slovene0%(26)
Egyptian0%(14)
Latvian0%(14)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest German population · Largest Italian population · Largest American population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
46.8%
+15.8 ptssince 2000
from 31.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
94.1%
+11.1 ptssince 2000
from 83.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
16.4%
+7.9 ptssince 2000
from 8.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
18.5 min
+57%since 2000
from 11.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
69.6%
−10.6 ptssince 2009
from 80.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.0%
−4.1 ptssince 2009
from 10.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.3%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
19.2%
+15.9 ptssince 2009
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.2%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
8.2%
−2.8 ptssince 2009
from 11.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.3%
−6.1 ptssince 2011
from 10.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
66.6%
+1.8 ptssince 2011
from 64.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
10.4%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
46.1%
−21.5 ptssince 2009
from 67.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
46.6%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 47.1% in 2009
Female
53.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 52.9% in 2009
Foreign born
5.7%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.4%
−40.6 ptssince 2009
from 46.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.1%
+0.4 ptssince 2012
from 12.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
10.9%
−72.4 ptssince 2013
from 83.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.3%
+13.0 ptssince 2017
from 78.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
91.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2016
from 91.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
5.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2016
from 5.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married46.1%(22,097)
Married42.7%(20,433)
Widowed2.6%(1,269)
Divorced8.6%(4,096)
Women 15+
Never married41.3%(23,437)
Married36.9%(20,907)
Widowed7.9%(4,484)
Divorced13.9%(7,884)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
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Compare Wilmington to nearby cities

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Home value$300,700−22%
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WILMINGTON VS
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WILMINGTON VS
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WILMINGTON VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Wilmington, North Carolina?

Wilmington, North Carolina has about 120,805 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Wilmington, North Carolina?

The typical household in Wilmington, North Carolina earns about $66,738 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Wilmington, North Carolina expensive?

In Wilmington, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $383,800, and the typical rent is about $1,395 a month.

How educated are people in Wilmington, North Carolina?

About 46.8% of adults age 25 and over in Wilmington, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Wilmington, North Carolina?

About 16.0% of people in Wilmington, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Wilmington, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Wilmington, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 65,275 residents, a change of about 118 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →