Cost of Living: Raleigh, NC vs Wilmington, NC

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,254/mo in Raleigh, NC versus $4,254/mo in Wilmington, NC. In the model, rent is about 21.39% of gross in Raleigh, NC versus 19.1% in Wilmington, NC, so Wilmington, NC tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Raleigh, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Wilmington, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Raleigh, NC
21.39%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Wilmington, NC
19.1%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Raleigh, NC and Wilmington, NC.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Wilmington, NC
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Wilmington, NC
  • Lower home prices: Wilmington, NC
  • Higher median household income: Raleigh, NC

Cost of Living Index

Raleigh, NC: 102.6 (U.S. = 100) · Wilmington, NC: 100 (U.S. = 100)

Wilmington, NC has a lower cost-of-living index than Raleigh, NC, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Raleigh, NC: $1,395/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Wilmington, NC: $1,246/mo

Median rent in Raleigh, NC is $149/mo higher than in Wilmington, NC.

Median Home Price

Raleigh, NC: $377,800 · Wilmington, NC: $350,300

Median home price in Raleigh, NC is $27,500 higher than in Wilmington, NC.

Median Household Income

Raleigh, NC: $82,424 · Wilmington, NC: $63,900

Raleigh, NC has a higher median household income than Wilmington, NC by $18,524.

Raleigh, NC overview · Wilmington, NC overview · Popular comparisons