Housing and tax tradeoff: Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina comes out ahead here on rent and home price. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Wilmington vs Charleston on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 38 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
WilmingtonCharleston
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on affordability, weaker on safety.
Potential dealbreaker: Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on tax burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 116,933 | 132,609 |
| Center Elevation | 30 ft(9 m) | 20 ft(6 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $406,802 | $572,367 |
| Median Rent | $1,674 | $2,072 |
| Median Income | $58,908 | $83,891 |
| Rent Burden | 34% | 30% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 315 days/yr | 322 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 72°F | 74°F |
| Avg. Low | 57°F | 61°F |
| Comfort Score | 84/100Great | 85/100Excellent |
| Temp Swing | 29°F | 28°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 58"(147 cm) | 52"(132 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 0"(0 cm) | 0"(0 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 472024 modeled avg · 20 days > 100 | Typical: 512024 modeled avg · 28 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Walkability | 35 | 40 |
| Transit Score | 20 | 24 |
| Safety Score | 63 / 100 | 69 / 100 |
| School Rating | 6.7/10 | 6.1/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | moderateModerate Risk |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | minimalMinimal | unknownNo Data |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 34%Cable: 93% | Fiber: 39%Cable: 93% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 37.6 years | 36.3 years |
| College Educated | 44% | 57% |
| Remote Workers | 15% | 15% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move. | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Wilmington. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Charleston. One featured slot per city |
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