Wilmington
RANK #912 / 996 NAT · #45 / 51 NC · POP 228,134
1YR FORECAST: -0.5%
5YR OUTLOOK: +11%
With its historic downtown and proximity to Atlantic beaches, New Hanover County, North Carolina, offers a distinctive coastal lifestyle. The city of Wilmington, the county seat, sits along the Cape Fear River, approximately 130 miles south of Raleigh. Residents and visitors enjoy a Riverwalk, historic architecture, and access to nearby beach towns like Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, and Kure Beach. Outdoor recreation opportunities abound, including watersports, hiking trails, and numerous parks such as Airlie Gardens and Carolina Beach State Park.
Life in New Hanover County attracts a mix of families, retirees, and young professionals seeking a balance of coastal living and urban amenities. The public school system, New Hanover County Schools, is highly rated and offers various educational options, including magnet and year-round schools. The economy, while historically influenced by tourism, has seen growth in sectors like healthcare and finance. Recent economic developments include investments in commercial and residential construction, as well as expansion in industrial and logistics sectors, particularly around the Port of Wilmington and Wilmington International Airport.
Below national median (4.7x)
Above national median
Prices declining
Moderate climate & terrain
Above national median (13x)
Housing is fairly valued at 4.4x relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: CDC/NCHS vital statistics via County Health Rankings (2020–2022 avg). Rates per 100,000 population. Grade based on homicide rate relative to national average (~6.3). Learn more →
Source: EPA Air Quality System (2021–2023). Grade based on 3-year average median AQI. Learn about AQI →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Amazon Robotics Fulfillment Center
Amazon
|
$100M | Under Construction |
|
Project Grace (Library and Museum)
New Hanover County
|
$57M | Under Construction |
|
Swartville Residential Development
Sea Horse Development (Joel and Ross Tomaselli)
|
$50M | Proposed |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 996 counties.
The data is not encouraging — New Hanover County scores just 8/100 on the Boom Town Index, ranking #912 of 996 counties. Job growth at +1.1% and median household income of $67,515 reflect an economy that has been contracting or stagnating relative to the rest of the country.
New Hanover County leans toward the expensive side. A median home value of $320,000 against an income-to-home-value ratio of 0.21 means housing eats a bigger share of local earnings than the national norm. Renters face $1,249/month on average.
New Hanover County is growing on multiple fronts. Population is up +1.3% year-over-year while employers added jobs at a +1.1% clip. Home values shifted -1.2% in the past year.
In significant numbers — 5.08% of New Hanover County's current population relocated from another state, well above the national norm. That level of in-migration usually signals a county where jobs, affordability, or quality of life are pulling people in from elsewhere.