Cost of Living: Wilmington, NC vs Philadelphia, PA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,254/mo in Wilmington, NC versus $4,337/mo in Philadelphia, PA. In the model, rent is about 19.1% of gross in Wilmington, NC versus 19.29% in Philadelphia, PA, so Wilmington, NC tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Wilmington, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Philadelphia, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Wilmington, NC
19.1%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Philadelphia, PA
19.29%
COLI tier: mid-range

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Wilmington, NC: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Philadelphia, PA: 95.2 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Wilmington, NC: $1,246/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Philadelphia, PA: $1,257/mo

Median rent in Philadelphia, PA is $11/mo higher than in Wilmington, NC.

Median Home Price

Wilmington, NC: $350,300 · Philadelphia, PA: $232,400

Median home price in Wilmington, NC is $117,900 higher than in Philadelphia, PA.

Median Household Income

Wilmington, NC: $63,900 · Philadelphia, PA: $60,698

Wilmington, NC has a higher median household income than Philadelphia, PA by $3,202.

Wilmington, NC overview · Philadelphia, PA overview · Popular comparisons