Rents are 11% below what Wilmington's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,713 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in Wilmington usually run 0.9% below trend in January and 0.8% above it in July, about $29 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Wilmington is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Wilmington changed +5.0% over the year to September 2026. Across the 94 North Carolina cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.9%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Wilmington rose 42.4% while median household income rose 40.3% ($47,580 to $66,738). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Wilmington is 45.8% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 10 months in a row, and rose in 11 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($66,738) is $1,668 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,643); a 3-bedroom is $2,170.
The priciest of 6 ZIP codes in Wilmington, 28409 ($2,201/mo), costs 41% more than the cheapest, 28412 ($1,562/mo).
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Wilmington. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Wilmington, NC is roughly split between renters and owners, skews toward younger working-age adults, 46.8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Wilmington, NC has changed in 5 years
Rent in Wilmington, NC has climbed 33.5% since 2021, going from about $1,283 per month to roughly $1,713 today. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $54,066 in 2021 to $66,738 more recently. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 10.1 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 115,976 to 120,805 between 2021 and 2024, a 4.2% change. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 43.6% to 46.8%. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Wilmington, NC market of 2021.
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At $1,713/mo, how Wilmington rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Wilmington rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Wilmington. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Wilmington
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Wilmington is $1,713/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,125/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,643/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,480/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,170/mo.
At 31% of local median household income ($66,738/yr), Wilmington ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 5.0% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Wilmington?
At $1,713/mo, rent takes ~31% of Wilmington's median household income ($66,738/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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