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Average Rent in Wilmington, NC & Rent Trends

What is the average rent in Wilmington, NC?

The average listed apartment rent in Wilmington, NC is $1,455 per month, as of November 8, 2026. This sample includes 135 priced apartments in 10 buildings. These are tracked asking prices, not signed leases.

We use published total monthly rent when known and base rent otherwise. Unknown fees remain unknown. Included building observations run from November 6, 2026 through November 8, 2026. Buildings without a qualifying price do not count in this sample. The guide directory can include more buildings.

Rent prices and market trends across 10 apartment communities in Wilmington, NC. Prices update after successful source checks.

Area All Areas Audubon
Wilmington 28401 28405
Beds All Bedrooms Studio 1 Bed 2 Bed 3 Bed 4 Bed

Showing any bedrooms in Wilmington, NC.

Market Average

$1,455/mo

▼ 3% from last month

Lowest Available

$985/mo

cheapest unit on market

Communities

10

tracked daily

Units Listed

135

available now

Rent Watch: cuts and increases

Open Rent Watch →

See current options while we confirm new price comparisons. Filter by bedrooms and budget, then inspect each building’s history.

Rent by Neighborhood in Wilmington, NC

Compare average rent across Wilmington, NC neighborhoods. Click any area to see detailed trends.

Neighborhood Avg Rent 30d Change From Properties Units
Wilmington 28401 $1,754 ▼  $132 $1,420 3 39
Audubon $1,399 ▼  $45 $959 6 68
Wilmington 28405 $1,133 ▼  $77 $985 2 35

Is Rent Going Up or Down in Wilmington, NC?

As of November 2026, the average rent in Wilmington, NC is $1,455 per month across 10 apartment communities and 135 available units. Rents have decreased $45 (3%) over the past month.

The most affordable option is Flats at Market Street starting at $985/mo. By unit type, a studio averages $1,036/mo, a 1-bedroom averages $1,407/mo, a 2-bedroom averages $1,647/mo, a 3-bedroom averages $2,102/mo.

Prices range from $985 to $3,130 per month. The most common price point is the $1,400 range, where 40 units are currently listed.

Wilmington, NC Rent Price History

Timeframe
View as table
Month Avg Rent Change Properties
May 2026 $1,470 - 8
June 2026 $1,457 -$13 9
July 2026 $1,518 +$61 10
August 2026 $1,568 +$50 10
September 2026 $1,529 -$39 10
October 2026 $1,556 +$27 10
November 2026 $1,502 -$54 10

The trend line and monthly averages track each building's average listed price, recorded daily with outliers trimmed. The current month is a month-to-date figure, so it can sit above or below today's live market average shown at the top of this page.

Average Rent by Bedroom

Rent Price Distribution

Rent by Bedroom Type in Wilmington, NC

Studio
$1,036
from $985 · 26 units
1 Bed
$1,407
from $1,132 · 57 units
2 Bed
$1,647
from $1,299 · 44 units
3 Bed
$2,102
from $1,590 · 8 units

Rent Prices by Apartment in Wilmington, NC

Property Starting at Average Units Rating
Flats at Market Street $985/mo $1,032/mo 26 3.9
Hawthorne at New Centre $1,133/mo $1,404/mo 20 4.4
Hawthorne Commons $1,199/mo $1,313/mo 14 4.4
The Creek at Forest Hills $1,245/mo $1,387/mo 3 4
One Midtown Apartment Homes $1,265/mo $1,587/mo 12 4.8
Forest Hills Apartment Homes $1,299/mo $1,555/mo 12 4.4
Deerbrook $1,361/mo $1,426/mo 9 4.7

Frequently Asked Questions About Rent in Wilmington, NC

How many bedrooms are you looking for?

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Any bedrooms

What is the average rent in Wilmington, NC?
The average listed apartment rent in Wilmington, NC is $1,455 per month, as of November 8, 2026. This sample includes 135 priced apartments in 10 buildings. These are tracked asking prices, not signed leases.

What rent range can I find in Wilmington, NC?
The apartment listings we track in Wilmington, NC range from $985 to $3,130 per month, as of November 8, 2026. These are the lowest and highest listed prices. They are not a typical price for every apartment. The building, floor plan, and lease terms can affect the price.

Are rents going up or down in Wilmington, NC?
The daily building-average rent fell by $46 (3.0%) over 30 days between observations in October 2026 and November 2026. This compares recorded asking rents. The current month's figures may still be incomplete, and the building mix can change.

How much is a studio apartment in Wilmington, NC?
Studio apartments average $1,036 per month across 26 priced listings in Wilmington, NC. Listed rents range from $985 to $1,245 per month, as of November 8, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 1-bedroom apartment in Wilmington, NC?
1-bedroom apartments average $1,407 per month across 57 priced listings in Wilmington, NC. Listed rents range from $1,132 to $2,047 per month, as of November 8, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 2-bedroom apartment in Wilmington, NC?
2-bedroom apartments average $1,647 per month across 44 priced listings in Wilmington, NC. Listed rents range from $1,299 to $2,430 per month, as of November 8, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 3-bedroom apartment in Wilmington, NC?
3-bedroom apartments average $2,102 per month across 8 priced listings in Wilmington, NC. Listed rents range from $1,590 to $3,130 per month, as of November 8, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How do 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom rents compare in Wilmington, NC?
The 1-bedroom average is $1,407 per month across 57 listings. The 2-bedroom average is $1,647 across 44 listings, $240 (17.1%) higher. This is a comparison of listing groups, not the cost to upgrade a specific apartment.

Which tracked building has the lowest starting rent in Wilmington, NC?
Flats at Market Street has the lowest starting rent among the buildings in the comparison table, at $985 per month. We track 26 priced listings matching your bedroom choice in that building, as of November 8, 2026. The starting price applies to its lowest-priced matching apartment. Check that apartment's latest price and availability.

Which rent range has the most listings in Wilmington, NC?
The $1,400 to $1,600 monthly range has the most matching listings: 40 units, or 29.6% of the priced apartments we track in Wilmington, NC. This count does not tell us how fast the apartments rent.

How many apartment listings do you track in Wilmington, NC?
We track 135 priced units at 10 apartment buildings, as of November 8, 2026. This is not the total number of apartments in those buildings. A listing can change or become unavailable. Open the apartment details to check its latest status.

How much rent history is available for Wilmington, NC?
We have recorded rent data on 170 days from May 2026 through November 2026 for apartment listings in Wilmington, NC. Some dates can be missing. The chart only shows recorded data. The current month includes the days recorded so far.

Why can the headline rent differ from the trend chart in Wilmington, NC?
The average at the top of the page gives each matching apartment equal weight. The chart first averages recorded prices within each building, then compares buildings. It removes the highest and lowest groups when at least ten buildings contribute and omits days with fewer than five buildings. Different dates, building counts, and listing mixes can produce different figures. The monthly table averages the recorded daily figures.

Does my bedroom choice change the prices and answers?
Yes. Your chosen area and bedroom count filter the asking rents, listing counts, rent ranges, and answers on this page. The active community exclusions are Student housing and 55+ / senior community and Corporate housing and Military / active duty housing and Veteran housing. When you choose a bedroom count, the history chart uses recorded prices for matching apartments with a known identity. If those records are missing, we leave the chart empty rather than use prices for other bedroom types. Open an individual apartment to check its own price history.

Do these rents include utilities, parking, and other fees?
We use the published total monthly rent when it is available and the base rent otherwise. Unknown fees are not zero. Utilities, parking, pet charges, deposits, and one-time costs can add to the amount you pay. Check the selected unit and lease terms for a complete quote.

How should I compare free-rent offers with listed rent?
A free-rent offer can reduce the effective cost over a lease without changing the listed monthly rent. Compare the same lease length and move-in date, then include required charges and the offer conditions. The market averages do not assume an unconfirmed discount.

Does this page represent every rental in the market?
These figures describe the priced apartment listings we track, not every rental home or every occupied apartment. Coverage and the mix of bedrooms, buildings, and locations can change. A lower market average does not prove that the same apartment received a price cut.

How fresh are the Wilmington, NC rent figures?
We schedule rent updates each day, but buildings can have different price-check dates. The latest accepted price check for these listings was November 8, 2026. The month label does not mean we checked every price today. Open the building or apartment details for its latest price and availability.

What salary do I need to live comfortably in Wilmington, NC?

Built on the 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.

Minimum to afford average rent

$58,000/year

Based on the 30 percent rule, using our tracked average rent of $1,455/mo.

Comfortable income

$70,000/year

Based on the 25 percent rule, leaving more room for savings, transport, and groceries.

To afford the cheapest tracked apartment ($985/mo), you need to earn at least $39,000/year.

Median household income in Wilmington, NC is $63,900 , about 9% below the comfortable-living threshold.

Explore Wilmington, NC Apartments

Browse all 10 communities with daily-updated pricing and availability.

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Cost of living in Wilmington, NC

Overall prices in Wilmington, NC runs below the national average by about 5% (BEA Regional Price Parity index 95.4, where 100 equals the U.S. average). The breakdown below estimates monthly costs for a single adult, using national consumer-spending baselines from the Bureau of Labor Statistics scaled by Wilmington, NC's regional price parities.

Category Monthly estimate
Rent (market average) $1,455
Utilities $378
Groceries $523
Transportation $900
Healthcare $439
Other goods and services $703
Estimated total $4,397/mo

Population

118,578

Median household income

$63,900

Census median rent

$1,311/mo

Census rent burden

32.1%

Median age

37.5

Mean commute

19 min

Methodology

Rent data

We use listed asking rents and schedule daily data updates. Individual buildings can have different verification dates. Check the building or unit page for its latest price and availability.

Cost of living

Estimates combine national consumer-spending baselines from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Expenditure Survey) with the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (MARPP dataset). Both are peer-reviewed federal data releases published annually.

Salary to live comfortably

We estimate annual income by dividing annual rent by 30 percent for the affordability figure and 25 percent for the comfortable-income figure. These estimates are a guide, not a guarantee of rental approval.

Demographic figures

Median household income, population, median age, commute time, Census median rent, and rent as percentage of income come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the most recent complete release.

Cost of living and demographic figures were last published in 2023.
North Carolina Rent Trends
Compare rent across all North Carolina cities
Explore Wilmington, NC on Map
See neighborhoods and rent data interactively
US-wide rent comparison
See how Wilmington, NC rents stack up against the national median

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