Wilmington receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Wildwood-The Villages
Wilmington
Opportunity
57 · Top 47%
vs74 · Top 17%
Growth
86 · Top 2%
vs81 · Top 5%
Climate
81 · Top 4%
vs83 · Top 3%
Physical resilience
26 · Bottom 15%
vs25 · Bottom 13%
Housing affordability
73 · Bottom 15%
vs72 · Bottom 14%
Access
74 · Bottom 46%
vs97 · Top 12%
Economic stability
40 · Bottom 34%
vs49 · Bottom 48%
Measured values
| Metric | Wildwood-The Villages | Wilmington | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 143,408 | 453,347 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $76,508 | $76,471 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $49,030 | $46,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 257/sq mi | 237/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $385,400 | $362,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,269 | $1,389 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 87.6% | 72.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.8% | 3.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.7% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.3% | 39.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.7% | 10.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 3,936 | 8,147 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 27.4 | 18.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 4.2% | -0.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 49°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.8" | 60.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 50 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.4 min | 25.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 68.5 | 45.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Wildwood-The Villages
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, strong wind.
Wilmington
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Wildwood-The Villages
63
Your Score
62
Area Score
Wilmington
69
Your Score
67
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Wildwood-The Villages, FL Metro Area · Wilmington, NC Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology