Wilmington, NC

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2022 Population
289,726
1.61% 1-year growth
US Senator
Thom Tillis
Republican Party
US Senator
Ted Budd
Republican Party
2022 Median Age
40.6
1.25% 1-year increase
2022 Poverty Rate
12.5%
6.65% 1-year decrease
2022 Median Household Income
$68,845
9.22% 1-year growth
2022 Median Property Value
$301,900
15% 1-year growth
2022 Employed Population
144,748
3.1% 1-year growth

About

In 2022, Wilmington, NC had a population of 290k people with a median age of 40.6 and a median household income of $68,845. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Wilmington, NC grew from 285,139 to 289,726, a 1.61% increase and its median household income grew from $63,036 to $68,845, a 9.22% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Wilmington, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (76.1%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (12.2%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.59%), Other (Hispanic) (2.77%), and White (Hispanic) (2.28%).

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.

97.3% of the residents in Wilmington, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Wilmington, NC are University of North Carolina Wilmington (5,218 degrees awarded in 2022), Cape Fear Community College (2,074 degrees), and Miller-Motte College-Wilmington (500 degrees).

In 2022, the median property value in Wilmington, NC was $301,900, and the homeownership rate was 63.8%.

Most people in Wilmington, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.6 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.

Population & Diversity

Wilmington, NC is home to a population of 290k people, from which 97.3% are citizens. As of 2022, 4.95% of Wilmington, NC residents were born outside of the country (14.3k people).

In 2022, there were 6.26 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (221k people) in Wilmington, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 35.2k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 10.4k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

97.3%
2022 Citizenship
97.4%
2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 97.3% of Wilmington, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Wilmington, NC was 97.4%, 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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Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Wilmington, NC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    221k ± 763
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    35.2k ± 991
  3. Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
    10.4k ± 1.22k
6.44%
Hispanic Population
18.7k people

In 2022, there were 6.26 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (221k people) in Wilmington, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 35.2k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 10.4k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

6.44% of the people in Wilmington, NC are hispanic (18.7k people).

The following chart shows the 7 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
    214,508 ± 11,254 people
  2. India
    79,868 ± 6,912 people
  3. Honduras
    39,759 ± 4,886 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 214,508 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 79,868 and Honduras with 39,759.

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Foreign-Born Population

4.95%
2022 Foreign-Born Population
14.3k people
4.59%
2021 Foreign-Born Population
13.1k people

As of 2022, 4.95% of Wilmington, NC residents (14.3k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Wilmington, NC was 4.59%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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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Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    6,144 ± 536
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    5,413 ± 751
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    2,856 ± 483

Wilmington, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.14 times greater than any other conflict.

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Economy

The economy of Wilmington, NC employs 145k people. The largest industries in Wilmington, NC are Health Care & Social Assistance (20,076 people), Retail Trade (18,059 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (12,843 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($172,292), Utilities ($105,023), and Management of Companies & Enterprises ($100,275).

Males in North Carolina have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $57,464. The income inequality in North Carolina (measured using the Gini index) is 0.47, which is lower than than the national average.

Occupations

145k
2022 Value
± 3,608
3.1%
1 Year growth
± 3.37%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Wilmington, NC grew at a rate of 3.1%, from 140k employees to 145k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Wilmington, NC, are Management Occupations (18,683 people), Sales & Related Occupations (16,544 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (14,203 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 false.

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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Employment by Industries

145k
2022 Value
± 3,608
3.1%
1 Year growth
± 3.37%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Wilmington, NC grew at a rate of 3.1%, from 140k employees to 145k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Wilmington, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (20,076 people), Retail Trade (18,059 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (12,843 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

$47,458
Median earning men ± $1,738
$37,028
Median earning women ± $1,852

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Manufacturing ($69,321), Information ($68,781), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($66,971).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Public Administration ($54,515), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($50,975), and Wholesale Trade ($47,500).

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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.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or 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 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in North Carolina went to Donald J. Trump with 49.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (48.6%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.881%).

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.

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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US Representatives from North Carolina

North Carolina is currently represented by 14 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for North Carolina have changed over time starting in 2008.

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Education

In 2022, universities in Wilmington, NC awarded 7,862 degrees. The student population of Wilmington, NC in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 13,138 male students and 19,544 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Wilmington, NC are White (5,789 and 74.5%), followed by Black or African American (718 and 9.24%), Hispanic or Latino (588 and 7.57%), and Two or More Races (308 and 3.97%).

The largest universities in Wilmington, NC by number of degrees awarded are University of North Carolina Wilmington (5,218 and 66.4%), Cape Fear Community College (2,074 and 26.4%), and Miller-Motte College-Wilmington (500 and 6.36%).

The most popular majors in Wilmington, NC are General Business Administration & Management (1,075 and 13.7%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (822 and 10.5%), and Registered Nursing (814 and 10.4%).

The median tuition cost in Wilmington, NC for a public four year colleges is $4,443 for in-state students and $19,063 for out-of-state students.

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2022 in Wilmington, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 68.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 20.4%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 32,682 (40.2% men and 59.8% 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 2022 there were 32,682 students enrolled in Wilmington, NC, 40.2% men and 59.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 23,531 records, of which 58.9% were women and 41.1% men.

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Concentrations

Most Common
  1. 739 degrees awarded
  2. 674 degrees awarded
  3. 208 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Wilmington, NC was Registered Nursing with 739 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. 5,218 degrees awarded
  2. 2,074 degrees awarded
  3. 500 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of North Carolina Wilmington with 5,218 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 2,645 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Wilmington, NC, which is 0.507 times less than the 5,217 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 5,789 degrees mean that there were 8.06 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 718 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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Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($4,443) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,795) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($1,600) 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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Educational Pyramid

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

In 2022, 0.944% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.805% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

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Educational Attainment

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

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (2.16M), Some college (1.84M), and Bachelors Degree (1.63M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Wilmington, NC was $301,900 in 2022, which is 1.07 times larger than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $262,500 to $301,900, a 15% increase. The homeownership rate in Wilmington, NC is 63.8%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Wilmington, NC have an average commute time of 22.6 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.

Median household income in Wilmington, NC is $68,845. In 2022, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Wilmington, NC was Wake County, NC with a value of $96,734, followed by Union County, NC and Orange County, NC, with respective values of $95,533 and $85,785.

Property

$301,900
Median Property Value 2022
±$7,317
$78,667
Median Property Taxes
±$2,276

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 $800 - $1,499 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

63.8%
Homeownership
2022
65.3%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2022

In 2022, 63.8% of the housing units in Wilmington, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 63.1%.

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

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Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.
Race/Ethnicity
Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2022, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Wilmington, NC was Wake County, NC with a value of $96,734, followed by Union County, NC and Orange County, NC, with respective values of $95,533 and $85,785.

The following map shows all of the counties in Wilmington, NC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$68,845
Median Household Income
± $1,911
123k
Number of Households
± 3,120

In 2022, the median household income of the 123k households in Wilmington, NC grew to $68,845 from the previous year's value of $63,036.

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.
0.47
2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina
0.47
2021 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2022, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.47 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0732% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2022
  1. Drove Alone (75.9%)
  2. Worked At Home (14%)
  3. Carpooled (7.56%)

In 2022, 75.9% of workers in Wilmington, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14%) and those who carpooled to work (7.56%).

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

22.6 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Wilmington, NC have a shorter commute time (22.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 2.16% 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 & Diversity

12.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Wilmington, NC (35.2k out of 282k 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 Males 18 - 24 and then Females 55 - 64.

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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Health

89.7% of the population of Wilmington, NC has health coverage, with 45.3% on employee plans, 10.8% on Medicaid, 13.1% on Medicare, 18.1% on non-group plans, and 2.36% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see 1413 patients per year on average, which represents a 1% increase from the previous year (1399 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1657 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 336 patients per year.

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 1% increase from the previous year (1,399 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 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.7% under 18 years, 22.1% between 18 and 34 years, 38.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.2% were men and 52.8% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

10.3%
Uninsured
45.3%
Employer Coverage
10.8%
Medicaid
13.1%
Medicare
18.1%
Non-Group
2.36%
Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Wilmington, NC declined by 0.0698% from 10.3% to 10.3%.

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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