The Wilmington metro area is among the fastest growing in the country. See where we rank.

Madison Lipe, Wilmington StarNews
·2 min read

The Wilmington metro area is one of the highest ranking in the country for its annual growth percentage.

The Wilmington metro area ranked No. 9 in the U.S. Census Bureau’s Top 10 U.S. Metro Areas from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023.

With a 2.8% population growth, Wilmington metro’s population increased from 454,390 to 467,337.

The Wilmington metro are ranked behind Spartanburg, South Carolina, which came in at No. 8. Meanwhile, the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, metro area ranked No. 2 with a 3.8% growth rate.

The Wilmington metro area comprises New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties, with each county experiencing significant growth in their own areas.

Pender County had a 4.3% growth increase from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023, and Brunswick County experienced a 4.6% population increase, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

More: As Brunswick County booms, here's how massive growth could make it the area's major player

Wilmington's metro area ranked number nine in the country for its annual growth percentage within the past year. The area is comprised of three counties: New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties.
Wilmington's metro area ranked number nine in the country for its annual growth percentage within the past year. The area is comprised of three counties: New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties.

How is the growth affecting real estate?

New Hanover County, although it has a larger population than Brunswick and Pender counties, had a 1.3% growth increase, according to the U.S. Census Bureau data.

The average New Hanover County home value is $417,614, which is a 6.9% increase over the past year, according to Zillow.

Pender County’s average home value sits the highest of the metro area counties at $421,237, which is a 4% increase over the past year, according to Zillow.

Brunswick County’s average home value is $419,392, which is a 2.5% increase over the past year.

More: Where are people moving to Wilmington from? And why are they coming here?

What do unemployment numbers show?

Compared to a year ago, New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties all have lower unemployment rates.

Brunswick County has the highest unemployment rate at 4.8%, and New Hanover County as well as Pender County both have a 3.3% unemployment rate, according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce Labor and Economic Analysis.

What do the school districts' numbers show?

According to an article from EdNC, Brunswick County Schools had the third-highest growth in the state over the past year at 2.45%.

Pender County Schools had a 1.03% growth rate and New Hanover County Schools saw a decline of 0.98%.

These numbers were calculated using what the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction calls Average Daily Membership data.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington, NC, metro among fastest growing in US, census data shows