Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Wilmington's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
Index: 100 = US city average. Values >100 mean more expensive, <100 means cheaper.
How far does your salary go in Wilmington?
Your $100,000 in Wilmington has the same purchasing power as $104,537 in the average US city. You'd need $4,537 less here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Wilmington's cost index of 96, sorted by closest match.
Wilmington, North Carolina has a cost-of-living index of 96, which is 4% below the national average. The typical renter pays $1,213 per month. The median household earns $58,908 per year.
To match the lifestyle of a $70,000 earner in the average US city, you'd need about $66,962 per year in Wilmington. Single renters typically want at least three times the $14,556 threshold to cover housing comfortably.
Wilmington is near the US city average. Overall prices are 4% below the national average.