City comparison
Wilmington, NC is about 100 miles (175 km) from Wilson, NC in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Wilmington, NC to Wilson, NC takes about 13 min, covering roughly 100 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Wilmington has a population of 116,933, vs 47,767 in Wilson — about 2.4× larger by population. By land area, Wilmington covers about 51 sq mi vs 32 sq mi for Wilson.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Wilmington | Wilson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,213/mo | $864/mo | 40.4% higher in Wilmington |
| Median home value | $318,600 | $167,400 | 90.3% higher in Wilmington |
| Median household income | $58,908 | $46,891 | 25.6% higher in Wilmington |
| Groceries index | 96.8 | 96.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 88.5 | 89.0 | ≈ equal (Wilson slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 98.4 | 98.4 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 97.9 | 97.9 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Wilmington, you'd need $83,920 in Wilson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Wilson, NC is about 16.1% cheaper overall than Wilmington, NC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 63% higher in Wilmington than in Wilson. If you earn $80,000 in Wilmington, you'd need about $67,136 in Wilson to keep the same standard of living.