United States › North Carolina › Wilmington CITY · 2020 ACS
Wilmington North Carolina · 115,451 residents · 51.4 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS 2024 ACS
The short version
Wilmington is home to 115,451 people in North Carolina. Since 2000 the city has risen by half, up 39,613 people. 47% of homes are owner-occupied. 44% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The foreign-born share is 5%. Getting to work takes 18 minutes on average.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 37.8
US median: 38.8
More educated
44% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 45%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth from 34.1 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
49K 69K 88K 108K 127K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Wilmington Age distribution, 2020
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Section 02
Income & economy $51,137
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $31,099 in 2000
US average: $66,278
from $21,503 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 22.9% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
from 19.6% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Public administration 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food 2.8%
Transportation & warehousing 2.4%
Professional, scientific, technical 2.2%
Education & health services 0.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.4%
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$264,600
+45%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $121,600 in 2000
US average: $265,253
$1,008
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $602 in 2000
US average: $1,124
from 48.6% in 2000
53.4% rent
from 2.10 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
from 5.8 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 69.4%(52,639)
Hispanic / Latino 2.6%(1,991)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 69.1%(79,791)
Hispanic / Latino 8.3%(9,544)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 41 more ancestry groups with data from 31.0% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 83.0% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
from 8.5% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 11.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
from 80.2% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
from 11.0% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 10.4% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
from 64.8% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 34.0% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
from 16.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 46.1%(22,097)
Women 15+
Never married 41.3%(23,437)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 16.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Direct-purchase
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
US average: 2.3%
Any private
US average: 68.1%
Any public
US average: 35.2%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later) 21.2%(1,361)
Gulf War (1990s) 18.7%(1,200)
Share of the 6,412 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Wilmington, North Carolina? Wilmington, North Carolina has about 115,451 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Wilmington, North Carolina? The typical household in Wilmington, North Carolina earns about $51,137 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 $264,600, and the typical rent is about $1,008 a month.
How educated are people in Wilmington, North Carolina? About 43.9% 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 19.2% 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 59,921 residents, a change of about 108 percent over that period.
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