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METRO AREA · 2010 ACS

Wilmington Metro

Wilmington, NC · 3 counties · 362,315 residents · 1,914 sq mi
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The short version

Wilmington is home to 362,315 people. 87,783 more people live here than in 2000. At a median age of 40.8, this is an older place than the country as a whole. The foreign-born share is 5%. Households take in $47,131 at the median, 11% less than the US figure. 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Older
median age 40.8
US median: 37.2
Average education
30% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Less affordable
home values up 43%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
362,315
+32%since 2000
from 274,532 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
189 / sq mi
+32%since 2000
from 143 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
40.8
+7%since 2000
from 38.2 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
1,914 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
175K251K327K403K479K19902000201020202024Wilmington
2024453K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 55.7%(20,616)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 95.5%(19,987)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 145.4%(19,658)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 196.2%(22,292)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247.2%(25,937)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3412.9%(46,901)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4412.7%(46,120)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5413.8%(49,884)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6414.3%(51,916)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 749.8%(35,596)
US avg: 7%
75 to 844.8%(17,211)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over1.7%(6,197)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$47,131
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $38,392 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$27,524
+28%since 2000
from $21,469 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
28.0%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 26.7% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
14.8%
+1.7 ptssince 2000
from 13.0% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.463
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information12.7%
US avg: 11.5%
Wholesale trade11.3%
US avg: 7.2%
Retail trade7.8%
US avg: 10.9%
Other services6.5%
US avg: 7%
Finance & insurance4.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration3.2%
US avg: 4.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.8%
US avg: 4.2%
Transportation & warehousing2.6%
US avg: 3.1%
Arts, entertainment, food2.5%
US avg: 2.4%
Education & health services1.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction0.8%
US avg: 1.4%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$205,124
+43%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $113,052 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$811
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $584 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
67.5%
−4.6 ptssince 2000
from 72.0% in 2000
32.5% rent
Vacancy rate
23.6%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 23.2% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.29 people
+1%since 2009
from 2.26 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
29.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 28.9% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
47.5%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 46.8% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
4.3
+3%since 2009
from 4.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
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-Hispanic78.4%(215,248)
Black17.1%(46,996)
Hispanic / Latino2.5%(6,732)
Asian0.6%(1,589)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic77.6%(281,017)
Black14%(50,797)
Hispanic / Latino5.4%(19,459)
Asian0.9%(3,137)
Other1.9%(6,972)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.3%(11,595)
Puerto Rican0.6%(1,982)
South American0.4%(1,389)
Central American0.3%(1,141)
Ecuadorian0.1%(490)
Salvadoran0.1%(457)
Colombian0.1%(328)
Cuban0.1%(316)
Guatemalan0.2%(312)
Dominican0.1%(285)
Spaniard0.1%(218)
Honduran0.1%(188)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Chilean0.1%(172)
Panamanian0%(155)
Peruvian0%(132)
Argentine0%(94)
Uruguayan0.1%(51)
Ancestry
American14%(48,848)
English13.9%(48,617)
German13.9%(48,418)
Irish12.9%(45,031)
Italian5.4%(18,986)
Scotch-Irish4.8%(16,944)
Scottish3.5%(12,155)
French2.9%(10,024)
Polish2%(7,152)
Dutch1.2%(4,208)
Swedish0.9%(3,171)
Welsh0.9%(3,009)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.6%(2,219)
British0.6%(1,995)
Russian0.5%(1,843)
French Canadian0.5%(1,713)
Greek0.4%(1,561)
Hungarian0.4%(1,549)
Ukrainian0.3%(911)
Czech0.3%(897)
Danish0.2%(816)
Slovak0.2%(816)
Lithuanian0.2%(802)
Austrian0.2%(709)
Arab0.2%(678)
Swiss0.2%(664)
Portuguese0.2%(636)
West Indian0.2%(580)
Canadian0.1%(526)
Romanian0.1%(354)
Croatian0.1%(328)
Lebanese0.1%(306)
Finnish0.1%(286)
Australian0.1%(271)
Turkish0.1%(267)
Jamaican0.1%(265)
Iranian0.1%(229)
Brazilian0.1%(162)
Egyptian0%(138)
Slovene0%(121)
Armenian0%(117)
Belgian0%(117)
Nigerian0%(96)
Bulgarian0%(93)
Syrian0%(87)
Haitian0%(85)
Latvian0%(73)
Barbadian0%(38)
Israeli0%(25)
Serbian0%(21)
Ethiopian0%(17)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
29.7%
+5.3 ptssince 2000
from 24.4% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
87.3%
+4.5 ptssince 2000
from 82.7% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
9.7%
+2.7 ptssince 2000
from 7.0% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.3 min
+50%since 2000
from 14.9 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
80.9%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 80.5% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
11.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 11.3% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
0.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
4.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.1% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
1.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.5%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
6.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
11.3%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 11.3% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
33.2%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 31.6% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.6% in 2009
Female
51.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.4% in 2009
Foreign born
4.7%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
12.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 12.9% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
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
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
8.8%
−7.5 ptssince 2013
from 16.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
51.6%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 52.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
21.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 21.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
25.6%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 24.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
14.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 14.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.5%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 3.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
71.3%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 71.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
38.7%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)23.3%(7,477)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era39.1%(12,547)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.9%(1,252)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.5%(174)
US avg: 1%

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

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

New Hanover CountyCENTRAL245,959Brunswick CountyCENTRAL174,702Pender County72,111
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Wilmington

Pensacola
Pop 544,949
Lansing
Pop 479,722
Savannah
Pop 438,314
Visalia
Pop 485,146
Places similar to Wilmington
Head to head

Compare Wilmington side by side

WILMINGTON VS
Pensacola
Income$76,743+63%
Home value$284,678+39%
Population544,949+11%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WILMINGTON VS
Lansing
Income$72,596+54%
Home value$213,204+4%
Population479,722−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WILMINGTON VS
Savannah
Income$77,692+65%
Home value$302,959+48%
Population438,314−11%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WILMINGTON VS
Visalia
Income$71,300+51%
Home value$330,100+61%
Population485,146−2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Wilmington, NC?

Wilmington, NC has about 362,315 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Wilmington, NC?

The typical household in Wilmington, NC earns about $47,131 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 $205,124, and the typical rent is about $811 a month.

How educated are people in Wilmington, NC?

About 29.7% 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.

Has Wilmington, NC grown since 1990?

Yes, Wilmington, NC has grown since 1990. The population has added about 162,191 residents, a change of about 81 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →