METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS
Wilmington Metro
Wilmington, NC · 3 counties · 200,124 residents · 1,913.62 sq mi
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The short version
Wilmington has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $25,758. Population has fallen 27% since 2000, a loss of 74,408 residents. Median home value is $69,386.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Older
median age 35.0
US median: 33.0
Less educated
17% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 19%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01
Population & growth
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024453K
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.3%(12,661)
5 to 96.4%(12,807)
10 to 146.4%(12,905)
15 to 197.4%(14,884)
20 to 247.4%(14,813)
25 to 3416%(32,043)
35 to 4415.4%(30,823)
45 to 5411.1%(22,212)
55 to 6410.2%(20,337)
65 to 748.7%(17,485)
75 to 843.7%(7,386)
85 and over0.9%(1,768)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$25,758
−12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $38,392 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Section 03
Housing
$69,386
−19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $113,052 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
RELATED:See current rent listings in Wilmington on RentDataNow
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic78.4%(215,248)
Black17.1%(46,996)
Hispanic / Latino2.5%(6,732)
Asian0.6%(1,589)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic78%(156,105)
Black21%(41,994)
Hispanic / Latino0.6%(1,249)
Asian0.4%(709)
Other0.7%(1,316)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.
Hispanic origin
Mexican3.5%(15,978)
Central American1%(4,751)
Puerto Rican1%(4,364)
South American0.6%(2,757)
Honduran0.6%(2,651)
Dominican0.3%(1,294)
Colombian0.3%(1,169)
Cuban0.2%(1,001)
Salvadoran0.2%(834)
Spaniard0.2%(739)
Guatemalan0.1%(621)
Peruvian0.1%(487)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Chilean0.1%(458)
Panamanian0.1%(391)
Venezuelan0.1%(304)
Nicaraguan0%(177)
Argentine0%(136)
Bolivian0.1%(122)
Costa Rican0%(77)
Ecuadorian0%(70)
Uruguayan0%(11)
Asian origin
Korean0.2%(1,025)
Chinese0.2%(983)
Asian Indian0.2%(728)
Filipino0.1%(643)
Vietnamese0.1%(266)
Nepalese0%(175)
Indonesian0.1%(167)
Burmese0.1%(144)
Japanese0%(139)
Hmong0%(125)
Taiwanese0%(116)
Thai0%(96)
Ancestry
English15.7%(71,050)
Irish13.4%(60,703)
German12.3%(55,670)
Italian6.1%(27,633)
American5.4%(24,594)
Scottish3%(13,377)
Polish2.5%(11,372)
French2.1%(9,546)
Scotch-Irish2.1%(9,328)
Swedish0.8%(3,561)
Welsh0.7%(3,194)
Dutch0.7%(3,175)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
Subsaharan African0.7%(3,116)
British0.7%(3,096)
French Canadian0.6%(2,670)
Norwegian0.6%(2,585)
Russian0.5%(2,092)
Hungarian0.4%(2,028)
Arab0.4%(1,906)
Greek0.3%(1,554)
Danish0.3%(1,339)
Czech0.3%(1,188)
West Indian0.3%(1,154)
Ukrainian0.2%(1,122)
Slovak0.2%(1,065)
Brazilian0.2%(1,017)
Austrian0.2%(1,008)
Canadian0.2%(1,004)
Lithuanian0.2%(963)
Swiss0.2%(945)
Portuguese0.2%(922)
Lebanese0.2%(718)
Romanian0.1%(576)
Finnish0.1%(464)
Jamaican0.1%(390)
Belgian0.1%(321)
Croatian0.1%(299)
Serbian0.1%(248)
Haitian0.1%(247)
Nigerian0.1%(243)
Jordanian0.1%(226)
Slovene0%(226)
Australian0.1%(220)
Syrian0%(219)
Moroccan0%(192)
Iranian0%(186)
Guyanese0%(181)
Palestinian0%(172)
Armenian0%(167)
Turkish0%(149)
Egyptian0%(117)
Latvian0%(83)
Ghanaian0%(70)
Ethiopian0%(65)
Barbadian0%(61)
Israeli0%(54)
Macedonian0.1%(48)
Cape Verdean0%(20)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(18)
Iraqi0%(11)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
73.9%
−8.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 82.7% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
No data for the years selected.
Section 08
People & community
No data for the years selected.
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married31.5%(58,387)
Married56.8%(105,313)
Widowed3.2%(5,986)
Divorced8.5%(15,786)
Women 15+
Never married26%(52,868)
Married52.1%(106,104)
Widowed9.2%(18,684)
Divorced12.8%(26,069)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
In this metro
Largest cities
WilmingtonCENTRAL126,809Leland35,731Murraysville16,339Myrtle Grove12,637Oak Island9,337Hampstead9,292Kings Grant9,003Ogden8,249Porters Neck7,654St. James7,318Boiling Spring Lakes6,875Carolina Beach6,870Silver Lake6,563Wrightsboro6,287Northchase5,896Carolina Shores5,540Shallotte5,335Sunset Beach4,642Southport4,434Burgaw3,903Skippers Corner3,792Belville3,199Calabash3,069Bayshore2,949Wrightsville Beach2,397Kure Beach2,145Navassa1,889Sea Breeze1,849Northwest1,096Rocky Point1,020
The 30 most populous of 45 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.
What's inside
3 component counties
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Wilmington
Pensacola
Pop 544,949
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Pop 479,722
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Pop 438,314
Visalia
Pop 485,146
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Compare Wilmington side by side
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WILMINGTON VS
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WILMINGTON VS
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Population438,314−11%
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WILMINGTON VS
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Income$71,300+177%
Home value$330,100+376%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Wilmington, NC?
Wilmington, NC has about 200,124 residents according to the 1990 Census.
What is the median household income in Wilmington, NC?
The typical household in Wilmington, NC earns about $25,758 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Wilmington, NC expensive?
In Wilmington, NC, the median home is worth about $69,386, and the typical rent is about $397 a month.
How educated are people in Wilmington, NC?
About 17.2% of adults age 25 and over in Wilmington, NC hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Wilmington, NC?
About 14.8% of people in Wilmington, NC live below the federal poverty line.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024