United States › Wilmington METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS
Wilmington Metro Wilmington, NC · 3 counties · 274,532 residents · 1,914 sq mi
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The short version
Wilmington is home to 274,532 people. 74,408 more people live here than in 1990. At a median age of 38.2, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Owners hold 72% of the housing stock. Median household income is $38,392, close to the national figure. Home values have risen by half since 1990, reaching $113,052.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Older
median age 38.2
US median: 35.2
Average education
24% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01
Population & growth 143 / sq mi
+37%since 1990
from 105 / sq mi in 1990
from 35.0 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
175K 251K 327K 403K 479K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Wilmington Age distribution, 2000
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $38,392
+13%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $25,758 in 1990
US average: $42,589
from $12,962 in 1990
US average: $21,522
from 14.8% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
$113,052
+24%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $69,386 in 1990
US average: $120,530
$584
+12%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $397 in 1990
US average: $602
from 70.4% in 1990
28.0% rent
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 1990
White, non-Hispanic 78%(156,105)
Hispanic / Latino 0.6%(1,249)
2000
White, non-Hispanic 78.4%(215,248)
Hispanic / Latino 2.5%(6,732)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.
Hispanic origin
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data Asian origin
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data from 17.2% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
from 73.9% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
from 4.9% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 19.4 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07
Work & employment No data for the years selected.
Section 08
People & community No data for the years selected.
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 27.2%(29,701)
Women 15+
Never married 20.9%(24,400)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09
Health coverage Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).
from 16.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 52.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 21.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 24.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 14.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 3.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 71.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 37.7% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
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, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 24.7%(7,907)
Gulf War (1990s) 23.3%(7,477)
Share of the 32,076 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.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
In this metro
Largest cities WilmingtonCENTRAL 126,809 Leland 35,731 Murraysville 16,339 Myrtle Grove 12,637 Oak Island 9,337 Hampstead 9,292 Kings Grant 9,003 Ogden 8,249 Porters Neck 7,654 St. James 7,318 Boiling Spring Lakes 6,875 Carolina Beach 6,870 Silver Lake 6,563 Wrightsboro 6,287 Northchase 5,896 Carolina Shores 5,540 Shallotte 5,335 Sunset Beach 4,642 Southport 4,434 Burgaw 3,903 Skippers Corner 3,792 Belville 3,199 Calabash 3,069 Bayshore 2,949 Wrightsville Beach 2,397 Kure Beach 2,145 Navassa 1,889 Sea Breeze 1,849 Northwest 1,096 Rocky Point 1,020 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 Head to head
Compare Wilmington side by side WILMINGTON VS
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WILMINGTON VS
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WILMINGTON VS
Savannah
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WILMINGTON VS
Visalia
Income $71,300 +86%
Home value $330,100 +192%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Wilmington, NC? Wilmington, NC has about 274,532 residents according to the 2000 Census.
What is the median household income in Wilmington, NC? The typical household in Wilmington, NC earns about $38,392 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 $113,052, and the typical rent is about $584 a month.
How educated are people in Wilmington, NC? About 24.4% 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 13.0% of people in Wilmington, NC live below the federal poverty line.
Has Wilmington, NC grown since 1990? Yes, Wilmington, NC has grown since 1990. The population has added about 74,408 residents, a change of about 37 percent over that period.
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