Population
492,772
2025
+15.9% since 2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025), 2025. Resident population, July 1 estimate.
Wilmington, NC metro growth snapshot
The Wilmington, NC metro area had an estimated 492,772 residents in 2025, up 15.9% (67,574 more people) since 2020.
Data as of 2025 · updated
Headline numbers
Net domestic migration
+12,719
2025
25.8 per 1,000 residents
+67,941 in total, 2021–2025
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025), 2025. People moving in from other U.S. counties minus people moving out.
Jobs
190,968
2025
+21.0% since 2020
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025. Average annual employment covered by unemployment insurance.
New homes permitted
7,622
2025
−21.2% since 2021
15.5 per 1,000 residents
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Housing units authorized by building permits in the year.
Private-sector employment
166,626
2023
+20.5% since 2018
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023. Paid employees of private employers in mid-March (County Business Patterns).
Metro figures add up the member counties: totals only, so medians, wages and rates are on each county's page.
What the numbers say
Net domestic migration added 12,719 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out.
Employers counted 190,968 jobs in 2025, +21.0% since 2020.
Builders were authorized to start 7,622 new homes in 2025, or 15.5 per 1,000 residents.
Counties in this metro area
- Brunswick County, NCpop +26.5% · jobs +32.5%
- New Hanover County, NCpop +8.6% · jobs +16.8%
- Pender County, NCpop +19.0% · jobs +29.0%
Fastest-growing metro areas in North Carolina · Fastest-growing metro areas in the U.S.
Questions
Is the Wilmington, NC metro area growing?
Yes. Its population grew 15.9% between 2020 and 2025, about 67,574 more people (Census Bureau population estimates).
Which county in the Wilmington, NC metro area is growing fastest?
Brunswick County, NC. Its population grew 26.5% between 2020 and 2025, the fastest of the 3 member counties (Census Bureau population estimates).
How many people moved to the Wilmington, NC metro area?
On net, about 12,719 people in 2025: that many more moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).
What is the population of the Wilmington, NC metro area?
About 492,772 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.
How many jobs are in the Wilmington, NC metro area?
Employers there reported 190,968 jobs covered by unemployment insurance in 2025, +21.0% since 2020 (BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages).
See Wilmington, NC tract by tract
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Sources and method
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns
Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.