Jacksonville vs Wilmington
Jacksonville, North Carolina versus Wilmington, North Carolina: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Jacksonville and Wilmington score about the same overall (42 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Jacksonville | Wilmington |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $50k | $59k |
| Cost of Living | $48k | $51k |
| Home Value | $176k | $319k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.00% | 0.77% |
| Income Tax | 4.50% | 4.50% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.32% | 10.97% |
| Unemployment | 8.9% | 4.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 46°F | 47°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 81°F | 81°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 56.5 in | 65.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.6 in | 0.9 in |
| Sunny Days | 223 days | 223 days |
| Summer Humidity | 72°F | 72°F |
| Comfortable Days | 87 days | 92 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 82.8 | 82.5 |
| Air Quality | 46 AQI | 48 AQI |
| School Quality | 32.2 | 47.4 |
| Violent Crime | 1969/100k | 1799/100k |
| Property Crime | 2078/100k | 2876/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 71,908 | 116,933 |
| Median Age | 23.3 | 37.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.57 | 0.42 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.60 | 0.88 |
| Political Leaning | R+31 | Even |
| White (%) | 53.2% | 71.5% |
| Black (%) | 17.7% | 16.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 19.2% | 7.0% |
| Asian (%) | 2.7% | 1.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.1% | 4.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 15 min | 19 min |
| Walkability | 6.5/20 | 11.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 112 mi | 127 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.0% | 88.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 15.58 | 17.10 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Jacksonville or Wilmington more affordable?
- Jacksonville has the lower cost of living: its index is $48k, compared with Jacksonville's $48k and Wilmington's $51k. Median rent is $1k in Jacksonville versus $1k in Wilmington.
- Is Jacksonville or Wilmington safer?
- Wilmington has the lower violent crime rate. Jacksonville reports 1969/100k and Wilmington reports 1799/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Jacksonville or Wilmington?
- The median home value is $176k in Jacksonville and $319k in Wilmington, so homes are more affordable in Jacksonville.