Huntsville vs Wilmington
The short version
- Huntsville is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Wilmington area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $293,600 in Huntsville and $383,800 in Wilmington.
- Households earn more in Huntsville ($74,714 vs $66,738 median).
- Wilmington has the warmer winter: January highs of 57°F vs 52°F.
Side by side
| Huntsville, AL | Wilmington, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 233,627 | 126,809 |
| Growth since 2020 | +8.7% | +9.8% |
| People per square mile | 1,037 | 2,469 |
| Median age | 36.9 | 37.1 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47% | 47% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $74,714 | $66,738 |
| Median home value | $293,600 | $383,800 |
| Home value to income | 3.9× | 5.8× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,171 | $1,395 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 93.1 | 96.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 77.9 | 93.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,800 | $72,300 |
| Homeowners | 58% | 48% |
| Top state income tax | 5% | 3.99% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.46% | 7.1% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.7 | 18.5 |
| Work from home | 15% | 19% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.1% | 4.3% |
| Poverty rate | 12.6% | 16% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 52° / 33° | 57° / 36° |
| July high / low | 92° / 71° | 90° / 73° |
| Precipitation per year | 54 in | 60 in |
| Snowfall per year | 2 in | 1 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 62 | 45 |
| Nights below freezing | 56 | 37 |
| Comfortable months | 1 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 94.6 | 96.1 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 72% | 77% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.3% | +3.7% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +43% | +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: Huntsville: October. Wilmington: March to April and November.
Full monthly tables: Huntsville 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 $69,800 in Huntsville and $72,300 in Wilmington. Moving from Huntsville to Wilmington, you would need about $77,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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