Cary vs Wilmington
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $383,800 in Wilmington and $580,200 in Cary.
- Households earn more in Cary ($134,905 vs $66,738 median).
- Wilmington has the warmer winter: January highs of 57°F vs 52°F.
- Wilmington is growing faster: +9.8% since 2020 vs +5%.
- Commutes are shorter in Wilmington (19 vs 23 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Cary, NC | Wilmington, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 183,582 | 126,809 |
| Growth since 2020 | +5% | +9.8% |
| People per square mile | 3,011 | 2,469 |
| Median age | 40.2 | 37.1 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 71% | 47% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $134,905 | $66,738 |
| Median home value | $580,200 | $383,800 |
| Home value to income | 4.3× | 5.8× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,738 | $1,395 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 98.2 | 96.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 103.5 | 93.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $73,600 | $72,300 |
| Homeowners | 67% | 48% |
| Top state income tax | 3.99% | 3.99% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.1% | 7.1% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.5 | 18.5 |
| Work from home | 37% | 19% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.5% | 4.3% |
| Poverty rate | 5.7% | 16% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 52° / 32° | 57° / 36° |
| July high / low | 91° / 70° | 90° / 73° |
| Precipitation per year | 46 in | 60 in |
| Snowfall per year | 5 in | 1 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 52 | 45 |
| Nights below freezing | 65 | 37 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 95.5 | 96.1 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 66% | 77% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.1% | +3.7% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +44.9% | +59.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Cary: April to May and October. Wilmington: March to April and November.
Full monthly tables: Cary weather by month and Wilmington weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $73,600 in Cary and $72,300 in Wilmington. Moving from Cary to Wilmington, you would need about $73,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Cary and Wilmington
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Cary and Wilmington.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.