What salary do you need to live in Wilmington, NC?

Wilmington housing costs at a glance

Census figures put the median gross rent in the Wilmington, NC metro at $1,250 for a one-bedroom, $1,357 for a two-bedroom and $1,611 for a three-bedroom. Moving from one to two bedrooms adds $107 a month, and the third bedroom another $254.

Homeowners in Wilmington report a median home value of $362,400. With median household income at $76,471, a typical home costs 4.7× a typical income, close to the middle of the range across US metros.

BEA's Regional Price Parity for the metro is 96.4, where 100 is the US average. In plain terms, the full basket of goods, services and housing costs 3.6% less than average, so $100,000 here buys roughly what $103,711 would at average US prices.

The salary lines for a two-bedroom in Wilmington

The salary lines for a two-bedroom household land at $45,000 for Tight, $90,000 for Okay and $180,000 for Comfortable. The gap between the Okay and Comfortable lines alone is $90,000, which says how much extra income it takes to make housing feel roomy here rather than merely workable.

The Royal grade is within reach at $507,000 a year, where both rent and the median home price look small next to income.

Nothing here is a separate rule of thumb; plug any of these incomes into the calculator with two bedrooms and Wilmington shows the matching grade.

Four salaries, three home sizes in Wilmington

At $75,000 home size barely changes the picture: one, two and three bedrooms all grade Tight, with scores from 37 to 41.

None of the four salaries reaches Comfortable for two bedrooms; even $150,000 scores 60, Okay, which fits the $180,000 line above.

Wilmington on the national list

Ranked against all 387 metros, Wilmington sits 141st on overall price level and 107th on the two-bedroom rent median, counting from the most expensive. Its median home value ranks 101st.

Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY ($1,363) and Winchester, VA-WV ($1,353) bracket Wilmington on two-bedroom rent.

Wilmington next to North Carolina and similar metros

Statewide, North Carolina's median two-bedroom rent is $1,164 and its median home value $288,900. Wilmington's rent is +17% against that, and its home value +25%; the price parity is 96.4 versus 94.3 for the state.

Run North Carolina's statewide medians through the same score and Comfortable begins at $142,000; Wilmington's line is +27% from that.

If Wilmington is on your list, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC, Asheville, NC, and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC are the most similar North Carolina metros by two-bedroom rent and price level; the table shows where each turns Comfortable.

Where the typical Wilmington household lands

The median household in the metro earns $76,471 (ACS 2020-2024). Run through the calculator with two bedrooms, that scores 41, Tight. Reaching Comfortable would take $103,529 more than the median household earns. Statewide, the North Carolina median household ($72,388) grades Okay on the state's own medians. Keep in mind a household median often combines two incomes.

These are pre-tax estimates from public statistics, not financial advice.