Should I Move To
Wilson, North Carolina comes in at about 47,767 residents. Cost of living comes out very affordable — 20% below the national average. Rent typically lands near $864/mo, and the median household income is about $46,891. Overall, 50/100 on our composite score, which works out to a D, putting it at #512 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 80 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's very affordable territory. With median rent at $864/mo and median household income at $46,891, housing takes about 22% of gross income — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Homes typically value around $167,400.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect four-season weather — summers near 89°F, winters around 33°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 46 inches annually. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life. Air quality reads good (AQI 39).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
On the families profile, Wilson sits squarely in the middle. It earns 59/100 (grade C) on the families profile. Strongest on affordability (96/100); weakest on job market (5/100).
On the retirees profile, Wilson sits squarely in the middle. It earns 68/100 (grade B-) on the retirees profile. Strongest on affordability (96/100); weakest on job market (5/100).
On the remote workers profile, Wilson sits squarely in the middle. It earns 75/100 (grade B) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on affordability (96/100); weakest on job market (5/100).
Wilson is a tougher sell for young professionals. It earns 41/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on affordability (96/100); weakest on job market (5/100).
Wilson, North Carolina pulls a 50/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade D), currently ranked #512 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Wilson's cost-of-living index is 80 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the very affordable band — 20% below the national average. Median rent runs about $864/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 89°F, winter averages around 33°F, with about 46 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 19/100. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life.
Wilson has about 47,767 residents, 22% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 39.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Wilson head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Wilson stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Wilson with other North Carolina cities scored on UrbRank.
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