Wilmington, NC

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population
453,347
US Senator
Thom Tillis
Republican Party
US Senator
Ted Budd
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
45.4
0.665% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
10.9%
2.19% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$76,471
3.78% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$362,400
10.5% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
216,084
4.5% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Wilmington, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.2% of the residents in Wilmington, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Wilmington, NC are University of North Carolina Wilmington (5,239 degrees awarded in 2024), Cape Fear Community College (1,938 degrees), and Brunswick Community College (642 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Wilmington, NC was $362,400, and the homeownership rate was 72.1%.

Most people in Wilmington, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Wilmington, NC was 2 cars per household.

About the photo: Market Street in Wilmington, North Carolina in New Hanover County.
Photo by Gerry Dincher
United StatesNorth Carolina

Population & Diversity

Wilmington, NC is home to a population of 453k people, from which 97.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.89% of Wilmington, NC residents were born outside of the country (22.2k people).

In 2024, there were 7.58 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (348k people) in Wilmington, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 45.8k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 15.1k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.2%
2024 Citizenship
97.3%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.2% of Wilmington, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Wilmington, NC was 97.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Wilmington, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Wilmington, NC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    348k ± 1.18k
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    45.8k ± 1.2k
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    15.1k ± 1.69k
7.26%
Hispanic Population
32.9k people

In 2024, there were 7.58 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (348k people) in Wilmington, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 45.8k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 15.1k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

7.26% of the people in Wilmington, NC are hispanic (32.9k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Wilmington, NC as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    228,441 ± 11,609 people
  2. India
    90,815 ± 7,367 people
  3. Honduras
    52,061 ± 5,588 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 228,441 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 90,815 and Honduras with 52,061.

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Foreign-Born Population

4.89%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
22.2k people
4.91%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
21.6k people

As of 2024, 4.89% of Wilmington, NC residents (22.2k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Wilmington, NC was 4.91%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Wilmington, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    11,600 ± 655
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    7,907 ± 837
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    4,629 ± 607

Wilmington, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.47 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Wilmington, NC.

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Health

91.2% of the population of Wilmington, NC has health coverage, with 41.1% on employee plans, 11.3% on Medicaid, 17.6% on Medicare, 18.9% on non-group plans, and 2.22% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see 1,413 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1634 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 299 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.9% were men and 52.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.
1,413 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in North Carolina

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see an average of 1,413 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in North Carolina in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.6% under 18 years, 19.3% between 18 and 34 years, 38.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 23.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.9% were men and 52.1% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

8.8%
Uninsured
41.1%
Employer Coverage
11.3%
Medicaid
17.6%
Medicare
18.9%
Non-Group
2.22%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Wilmington, NC declined by 8.06% from 9.57% to 8.8%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Wilmington, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Economy

The economy of Wilmington, NC employs 216k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Wilmington, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (30,060 people), Retail Trade (25,752 people), and Construction (19,378 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($92,332), Utilities ($85,813), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($82,054).

Employment

Occupations

216k
2024 Value
± 4,250
4.5%
1 Year growth
± 2.68%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Wilmington, NC grew at a rate of 4.5%, from 207k employees to 216k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Wilmington, NC, are Management Occupations (28,196 people), Sales & Related Occupations (24,104 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (21,565 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Wilmington, NC.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

216k
2024 Value
± 4,250
4.5%
1 Year growth
± 2.68%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Wilmington, NC grew at a rate of 4.5%, from 207k employees to 216k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Wilmington, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (30,060 people), Retail Trade (25,752 people), and Construction (19,378 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Wilmington, NC, though some of these residents may live in Wilmington, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$52,389
Median earning men ± $1,380
$40,503
Median earning women ± $1,416

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($84,051), Information ($79,781), and Manufacturing ($69,440).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($59,886), Manufacturing ($59,836), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($53,662).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.
Y-Axis
3.04%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 1,101
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
  2. 1,075
    Construction
  3. 826
    Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $1.64M
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  2. $862k
    Retail Trade
  3. $822k
    Manufacturing

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in North Carolina went to Donald J. Trump with 50.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (47.6%), followed by Other (0.675%).

Thom Tillis and Ted Budd are the senators currently representing the state of North Carolina. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

North Carolina is currently represented by 14 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Wilmington, NC. Showing the available data for North Carolina.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (50.9%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (47.6%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Other (0.675%)
    Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in North Carolina went to Donald J. Trump with 50.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (47.6%), followed by Other (0.675%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in North Carolina for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from North Carolina

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.
Thom Tillis
Senator from North Carolina2
Assumed office on January 3, 2015
Ted Budd
Senator from North Carolina3
Assumed office on January 3, 2023

Thom Tillis and Ted Budd are the senators currently representing North Carolina.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in North Carolina over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Education

In 2024, universities in Wilmington, NC awarded 8,018 degrees. The student population of Wilmington, NC in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 14,053 male students and 21,064 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Wilmington, NC are White (5,959 and 75.4%), Hispanic or Latino (653 and 8.26%), Black or African American (647 and 8.18%), and Two or More Races (255 and 3.22%).

The largest universities in Wilmington, NC by number of degrees awarded are University of North Carolina Wilmington (5,239 and 65.3%), Cape Fear Community College (1,938 and 24.2%), and Brunswick Community College (642 and 8.01%).

The most popular majors in Wilmington, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (968 and 12.1%), Registered Nursing (904 and 11.3%), and General Business Administration & Management (799 and 9.97%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $4,443 for in-state students and $21,318 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2024 in Wilmington, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 64.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 21%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 35,117 (40% men and 60% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 35,117 students enrolled in Wilmington, NC, 40% men and 60% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 24,869 records, of which 59.5% were women and 40.5% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Registered Nursing
    775 degrees awarded
  2. General Business Administration & Management
    675 degrees awarded
  3. General Psychology
    302 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Wilmington, NC was Registered Nursing with 775 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Wilmington, NC according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. University of North Carolina Wilmington
    5,239 degrees awarded
  2. Cape Fear Community College
    1,938 degrees awarded
  3. Brunswick Community College
    642 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of North Carolina Wilmington with 5,239 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 2,678 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Wilmington, NC, which is 0.501 times less than the 5,340 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 5,959 degrees mean that there were 9.13 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 653 degrees awarded.

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Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($4,443) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,834) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,769) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Wilmington, NC was $362,400 in 2024, which is 1.09 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $328,000 to $362,400, a 10.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Wilmington, NC is 72.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Wilmington, NC have an average commute time of 23.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Wilmington, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$362,400
Median Property Value 2024
±$4,221
$143,771
Median Property Taxes
±$3,024

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Wilmington, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Wilmington, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

72.1%
Homeownership
2024
65.4%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 72.1% of the housing units in Wilmington, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 71.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Wilmington, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$76,471
Median Household Income
± $1,635
199k
Number of Households
± 3,982

In 2024, the median household income of the 199k households in Wilmington, NC grew to $76,471 from the previous year's value of $73,687.

The following chart displays the households in Wilmington, NC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Wilmington, NC is from North Carolina.
0.466
2024 Wage GINI in North Carolina
0.467
2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2024, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.466 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.16% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (72.4%)
  2. Worked At Home (17.2%)
  3. Carpooled (7.36%)

In 2024, 72.4% of workers in Wilmington, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (17.2%) and those who carpooled to work (7.36%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

23.5 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Wilmington, NC have a shorter commute time (23.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.32% of the workforce in Wilmington, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Wilmington, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Wilmington, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Wilmington, NC have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

10.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Wilmington, NC (48.5k out of 445k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Wilmington, NC is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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