Cost of Living: Wilmington, NC vs Phoenix, AZ

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 $4,370/mo in Phoenix, AZ. In the model, rent is about 19.1% of gross in Wilmington, NC versus 21.24% in Phoenix, AZ, so Wilmington, NC tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Wilmington, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Phoenix, AZ
$4,370/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Wilmington, NC
19.1%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Phoenix, AZ
21.24%
COLI tier: mid-range

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

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: Phoenix, AZ

Cost of Living Index

Wilmington, NC: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Phoenix, AZ: 102.4 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Wilmington, NC: $1,246/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Phoenix, AZ: $1,385/mo

Median rent in Phoenix, AZ is $139/mo higher than in Wilmington, NC.

Median Home Price

Wilmington, NC: $350,300 · Phoenix, AZ: $381,900

Median home price in Phoenix, AZ is $31,600 higher than in Wilmington, NC.

Median Household Income

Wilmington, NC: $63,900 · Phoenix, AZ: $77,041

Phoenix, AZ has a higher median household income than Wilmington, NC by $13,141.

Wilmington, NC overview · Phoenix, AZ overview · Popular comparisons