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Cost of Living Comparison for Wilmington, NC
Local data pre-filled
Wilmington's cost of living index is 100 — exactly at the national average. This factors in housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare. Use this calculator to see how your purchasing power would change if you moved to another city.
✓ Calculator below is pre-filled with Wilmington local data
Data as of · Sources: Zillow, Census ACS, Tax Foundation, Freddie Mac
North Carolina Financial Snapshot (2026) — Cost of Living Comparison
Cost-of-living index and median income anchor the budget math for the cost of living comparison in North Carolina.
How the Cost of Living Comparison Math Works Under North Carolina Law
Your cost of living comparison in North Carolina is driven by the BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) — a purchasing-power index where US = 100. The all-items RPP tells you how far a dollar goes statewide vs the national average; housing-only RPP isolates the rent/mortgage side, which is the single biggest budget line for most households[1].
When the all-items RPP is above 100, the same expense basket costs more to maintain in North Carolina. The 50/30/20 rule (needs/wants/savings) bends toward needs in high-RPP states and toward savings in low-RPP states.
Calc-specific note: COL index normalises everything to US = 100. Housing RPP + all-items RPP are the two dimensions that move together.
Worked example — North Carolina
North Carolina's BEA all-items RPP measures how far a dollar goes vs US = 100. $100 of mainstream-basket spending in North Carolina costs $(RPP) in the US average. Housing RPP is usually the biggest swing component — run the housing tile separately when comparing metros.
Local context: Wilmington, NC
Housing economics in Wilmington, NC. The median home value runs 23.7% above the U.S. baseline for Wilmington, NC is $442,797 per Zillow's home-value index. Median rent runs $1,675 a month per Zillow ZORI, cheaper than the national $1,850 baseline. Effective property tax sits at 0.70% of assessed value, below the 0.99% national average tracked by the Tax Foundation.
Income and tax climate. North Carolina's top marginal state income tax bracket lands at 4.99% — compared to the volume-weighted national average around 4-5%. BEA's Regional Price Parity scores Wilmington, NC at 100.0 (national = 100), meaning a dollar in Wilmington, NC buys 100¢ — more goods and services than the same dollar nationally.
Local context as of 2026-04-19.
Wilmington versus the U.S. baseline
| Metric | Wilmington, NC | U.S. baseline | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value[zillow] | $442,797 | $358,000 | 23.7% |
| Median monthly rent[zillow] | $1,675 | $1,850 | -9.5% |
| Property tax (effective)[tax-foundation] | 0.70% | 0.99% | -29.3% |
| State top marginal income tax[tax-foundation] | 4.99% | ~4.08% (volume-weighted) | 0.9 pp |
| State cost-of-living index[bea-rpp] | 100.0 | 100.0 | 0.0 pts |
How to use the Cost of Living Comparison
Walk through using the Cost of Living Comparison with Wilmington, NC-specific defaults pre-loaded from primary sources.
- Enter your Wilmington numbersFill in the cost of living comparison inputs. Defaults reflect Wilmington, NC 2026: median home $442,797, median rent $1,675/mo, 0.70% effective property tax.
- Apply the local 2026 inputsThe median home value in Wilmington is $442,797 (Zillow ZHVI), with median monthly rent running $1,675/mo.
- Compare against Wilmington contextMonthly PITI on the $442,797 median home in Wilmington is ~$2,856/mo — vs a $1,675/mo median rent.
How North Carolina Compares to Neighboring States
| State | Median home | Top inc tax | Prop tax rate | RPP (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina (this page) | $330,000 | 4.25% | 0.82% | 94.4 |
| Georgia equivalent | $325,000 | 5.39% | 0.92% | 96.5 |
| compare to South Carolina | $295,000 | 6.20% | 0.55% | 93.5 |
| Tennessee | $325,000 | None | 0.71% | 92.1 |
| see Virginia | $385,000 | 5.75% | 0.80% | 101.3 |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI[1], state Departments of Revenue / Tax Foundation[2], Tax Foundation property taxes[3], BEA Regional Price Parities[4].
What Changes Your Result in North Carolina
- North Carolina cost-of-living drag:Line-item costs in North Carolina deviate from the US mean by whatever the BEA all-items RPP deviates from 100. Weight your budget toward the state average rather than the national average.
Related Calculations for North Carolina
- North Carolina Rent Affordability Calculator — rent is the biggest COL line.
How Wilmington Compares to the National Average
Understanding how Wilmington stacks up helps you calibrate your financial planning.
| Metric | Wilmington, NC | US Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $442,797 | $420,800 | +5.2% |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,675 | $1,713 | -2.2% |
| Median Household Income | $73,687 | $74,580 | -1.2% |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.70% | 1.10% | -36.4% |
| Cost of Living Index | 100 | 100 | +0.0% |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, BLS, Zillow, NAR (2024–2025). Green = favorable for residents; red = less favorable.
Wilmington Financial Snapshot
- Population (Metro)
- 295,000
- Unemployment
- 3.8%
- Avg Commute
- 22 min
- Median Age
- 37.8
- Price-to-Rent Ratio
- 22.0x
- Annual Property Tax
- $3,100
More Financial Calculators for Wilmington, NC
Cost of Living Comparison in Other North Carolina Cities
Frequently Asked Questions — Wilmington
- Can median-income households afford the median home in Wilmington?
- With a ~$2,856 monthly PITI and $73,687 median income, housing would consume ~46.5% of gross annual income. Qualifying under the 28% DTI rule requires ~$122,400 in annual income. Educational reference only.
- Is it better to rent or buy in Wilmington?
- Wilmington's price-to-rent ratio (22.0x) tilts toward renting — above 20x, buying is generally expensive relative to renting.
- What is the annual property tax bill on the median home in Wilmington?
- Approximately $3,100/yr at the 0.70% effective rate on the $442,797 median home. The national average effective rate is 1.07%.
- What share of median income goes to rent in Wilmington?
- The $1,675/mo median rent represents 27.3% of the $73,687 median household income. The recommended housing cost threshold is 30%; Wilmington falls within that guideline. Educational reference only.
- How much does commuting cost in Wilmington?
- Average commute time in Wilmington is 22 minutes per ACS. Estimated annual commute cost runs about $3,832. Educational reference only.
- How does the cost of living in Wilmington compare to the national average?
- Wilmington's BEA RPP index is 100, 0% above the national baseline of 100. For a household earning the national median income of $77,540, this translates to ~$0/yr in purchasing power difference. Educational reference only.
- What is the median home price in Wilmington, NC?
- The median home price in Wilmington is $442,797 as of 2025–2026.
- What is the average rent in Wilmington?
- The median monthly rent in Wilmington, NC is $1,675.
- Does the cost of living comparison replace professional advice?
- No. This calculator gives educational estimates using public Wilmington data and standard formulas. It is not personalized tax, legal, or investment advice. Consult a licensed professional for decisions with material consequences.
North Carolina State Context
North Carolina Real Estate Tips
North Carolina's median home price of $365,000 is below the national average, with the Triangle (Raleigh-Durham) and Charlotte driving growth.
NCHFA offers down payment assistance up to $15,000 through the NC Home Advantage Mortgage.
Property taxes at 0.84% are below the national average, and vary significantly by county.
North Carolina Homebuyer Programs
- ✓NCHFA NC Home Advantage Mortgage — up to $15,000 DPA as a 0% interest deferred second mortgage.
- ✓NCHFA NC 1st Home Advantage Down Payment — $8,000 DPA for first-time buyers and veterans.
Statewide North Carolina figures apply broadly across Wilmington. County- and city-level variation can be significant — verify against local sources before closing a transaction. [3]
How we compute this — methodology
The Wilmington page uses local median home price ($442,797), median rent ($1,675/mo), and property tax rate (0.70%) alongside the calculator's client-side formula. Calculations run in your browser — no inputs are sent to a server.
Known limits: ZIP-level variance within Wilmington can be substantial — the figures shown are city-wide medians. For a precise property tax quote, consult your county assessor.
Sources
- Zillow Research — ZHVI (Zillow Home Value Index) + ZORI (Zillow Observed Rent Index), city-level. zillow.com/research/data. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates for median household income and population. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs.
- CalcFi state financial context — tips + first-time homebuyer programs compiled from each state's Housing Finance Authority (HFA) public pages. See
src/data/state-financial-context.ts. - Tax Foundation — state property tax effective rates and state/local sales tax rates. taxfoundation.org.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) — weekly national mortgage rate averages used by mortgage-related calculators. freddiemac.com/pmms.
- Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by State — www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration — residential electricity / natural gas / gasoline — www.eia.gov. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — state-level occupational wages — www.bls.gov/oes. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) — weekly national mortgage rates — www.freddiemac.com/pmms. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owners, and Homeowners Tenants Insurance Report — content.naic.org/article/homeowners-insurance-report. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- State Departments of Revenue — official bracket + deduction publications (one primary URL per state; linked in the brackets table below) — taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/state-income-tax-rates. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- U.S. Department of Labor — State Minimum Wage Laws — www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) — real median household income, unemployment, HPI, LFPR per state — fred.stlouisfed.org. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
Spot an error? Email [email protected] with the URL and the correct figure.
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