METRO AREA · 2020 ACS
Wilmington Metro
Wilmington, NC · 3 counties · 422,598 residents · 1,914 sq mi
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The short version
Wilmington is home to 422,598 people. At a median age of 46.1, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Since 2000 the metro area has risen by half, up 148,066 people. 4% of people across the metro were born outside the United States. Owners hold 70% of the housing stock. 36% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 46.1
US median: 38.8
More educated
36% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 40%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth
Land area
1,914 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024453K
Age distribution, 2020
Under 54.4%(18,463)
5 to 94.9%(20,659)
10 to 145.4%(22,792)
15 to 195.2%(22,147)
20 to 246.4%(26,940)
25 to 3411.4%(47,966)
35 to 4411.5%(48,737)
45 to 5411.9%(50,105)
55 to 6414.7%(62,296)
65 to 7415.3%(64,650)
75 to 846.9%(29,181)
85 and over2%(8,662)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$58,161
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $38,392 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
38.4%
+11.8 ptssince 2009
from 26.7% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information13.2%
Wholesale trade8.4%
Retail trade6.7%
Other services6.6%
Finance & insurance4.3%
Public administration3.8%
Professional, scientific, technical2.7%
Arts, entertainment, food2.3%
Transportation & warehousing2%
Education & health services1.6%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.8%
Construction0.7%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$237,411
+40%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $113,052 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
4.1
−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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic76.3%(322,284)
Black10.9%(45,910)
Hispanic / Latino7%(29,702)
Asian1.1%(4,677)
Other3.2%(13,729)
39
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican2.6%(11,000)
Puerto Rican0.8%(3,503)
Central American0.8%(3,433)
South American0.4%(1,797)
Cuban0.4%(1,575)
Honduran0.4%(1,564)
Salvadoran0.2%(976)
Colombian0.2%(897)
Spaniard0.2%(826)
Dominican0.2%(680)
Guatemalan0.1%(529)
Venezuelan0.1%(376)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.1%(321)
Costa Rican0.1%(144)
Argentine0%(122)
Panamanian0%(118)
Nicaraguan0%(58)
Chilean0%(56)
Ecuadorian0%(25)
Asian origin
Chinese0.2%(1,078)
Korean0.2%(967)
Asian Indian0.2%(659)
Filipino0.1%(580)
Vietnamese0%(205)
Japanese0%(182)
Pakistani0.1%(171)
Taiwanese0%(107)
Indonesian0.1%(87)
Nepalese0%(48)
Laotian0%(46)
Thai0%(20)
Ancestry
German12.1%(52,144)
English11.5%(49,584)
Irish11.3%(48,541)
American6.5%(28,073)
Italian5.6%(24,055)
Scottish2.9%(12,556)
Scotch-Irish2.7%(11,768)
Polish2.3%(9,842)
French2.1%(8,845)
British0.9%(3,992)
Dutch0.9%(3,794)
Welsh0.8%(3,518)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.7%(3,135)
Norwegian0.7%(3,066)
French Canadian0.6%(2,486)
Subsaharan African0.5%(2,217)
Hungarian0.5%(2,203)
Russian0.5%(2,070)
Greek0.4%(1,728)
Danish0.3%(1,315)
Czech0.2%(1,052)
Austrian0.2%(1,034)
Lithuanian0.2%(999)
Ukrainian0.2%(954)
Portuguese0.2%(856)
Canadian0.2%(851)
Swiss0.2%(713)
Lebanese0.1%(627)
Slovak0.1%(607)
West Indian0.1%(595)
Finnish0.1%(571)
Turkish0.1%(543)
Brazilian0.1%(511)
Belgian0.1%(388)
Romanian0.1%(365)
Croatian0.1%(266)
Egyptian0.1%(242)
Nigerian0.1%(240)
Syrian0.1%(224)
Jamaican0.1%(193)
Armenian0%(173)
Palestinian0%(137)
Guyanese0.1%(124)
Latvian0%(109)
Slovene0%(93)
Bulgarian0.1%(89)
Serbian0%(89)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(86)
Cape Verdean0%(78)
Moroccan0%(76)
Haitian0%(74)
Iranian0%(63)
Ghanaian0%(61)
Arab0%(58)
Ethiopian0%(40)
Macedonian0%(31)
Australian0%(29)
Israeli0%(17)
Barbadian0%(16)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
92.2%
+9.5 ptssince 2000
from 82.7% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
70.3%
US average: 73.3%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
93.8%
US average: 91.9%
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
Direct-purchase
21.6%
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
3.8%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
71.0%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
37.7%
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)19.9%(6,672)
Gulf War (1990s)20%(6,734)
Vietnam era40.2%(13,515)
Korean War7.4%(2,473)
World War II2.2%(733)
Share of the 33,589 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
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WILMINGTON VS
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WILMINGTON VS
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Wilmington, NC?
Wilmington, NC has about 422,598 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Wilmington, NC?
The typical household in Wilmington, NC earns about $58,161 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 $237,411, and the typical rent is about $1,014 a month.
How educated are people in Wilmington, NC?
About 36.2% 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 13.4% 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 222,474 residents, a change of about 111 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024