Wilmington vs Greenville
The short version
- Greenville is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 8% lower than in the Wilmington area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $233,500 in Greenville and $383,800 in Wilmington.
- Households earn more in Wilmington ($66,738 vs $49,748 median).
- Wilmington has the warmer winter: January highs of 57°F vs 53°F.
Side by side
| Wilmington, NC | Greenville, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 126,809 | 96,443 |
| Growth since 2020 | +9.8% | +8% |
| People per square mile | 2,469 | 2,516 |
| Median age | 37.1 | 27.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47% | 39% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $66,738 | $49,748 |
| Median home value | $383,800 | $233,500 |
| Home value to income | 5.8× | 4.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,395 | $1,007 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 96.4 | 88.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 93.2 | 57.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $72,300 | $66,300 |
| Homeowners | 48% | 33% |
| Top state income tax | 3.99% | 3.99% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.1% | 7.1% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 18.5 | 18.8 |
| Work from home | 19% | 13% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.3% | 9% |
| Poverty rate | 16% | 24.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 57° / 36° | 53° / 33° |
| July high / low | 90° / 73° | 90° / 71° |
| Precipitation per year | 60 in | 53 in |
| Snowfall per year | 1 in | 3 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 45 | 53 |
| Nights below freezing | 37 | 54 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 96.1 | 89.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 77% | 88% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.7% | +3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +59.7% | +44.8% |
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: Wilmington: March to April and November. Greenville: April to May and October.
Full monthly tables: Wilmington weather by month and Greenville weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $72,300 in Wilmington and $66,300 in Greenville. Moving from Wilmington to Greenville, you would need about $68,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Wilmington and Greenville
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Wilmington and Greenville.
Which would you pick?
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