Housing Report for Wilmington

In Wilmington, the census reported 180,841 homes in the year 2005. This MSA has gone through a high level of growth of new homes, adding in all 23,616 homes since 2001, or 15 percent.

The residential home values in Wilmington, North Carolina have experienced moderate increases from the real estate values reported in 2000. The valuations have increased by $19,000, or 14.3 percent, from 2000 when they had reported median values of $133,200.

It can be understood that there is a fair amount affordable residential real estate in Wilmington, North Carolina. In 2005, 38.6 percent of the homes were valued under $125,000.

Wilmington recorded median owner-occupied home value in the year 2005 of $152,200, accounted by the American Community Survey. This home value is greater than the overall North Carolina 2005 median owner-occupied dwelling value of $127,600 and less than median home value of $167,500 across the United States during the same year.

Looking across the State of North Carolina, Wilmington ranks 1 of the 14 metro areas by percentage growth in residential real estate. The metro area is positioned 14 of 361, compared to percent change of residential structures in other metropolitan areas throughout the United States.

Wilmington has a relatively high proportion of residential real estate that is high priced. During the year 2005, the American Community Survey accounted that 8.7 percent of the homes were valued over $500,000.

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Employment Report for Wilmington, North Carolina -- Annual 2005 Industry Summary

In Wilmington, Retail Trade, Accommodation and food services, and the Health care and social assistance industries are the largest employment industries. The Retail Trade is the major employer in the Metropolitan Area making up 17.4 percent of total employment in the Metro Area, making up 18,874 jobs. The Accommodation and food services and Health care and social assistance sectors provide 14.7 and 11.5 percent of the total jobs, respectively.

Utilities has the largest businesses in Wilmington MSA, with the industry averaging 91 employees per business. This is greater than the industry's average at the national level of 34 and greater than the North Carolina establishments size average of 37 for the Utilities industry.

The Professional and technical services industry decreased the most in percent of total employment in the Wilmington MSA, since the year 2001, moving from making up 5.2 percent of total employment in 2001 to 0 percent in the year 2005.

Information is the industry that has seen the largest increase in jobs from the year 2001 to the present in Wilmington, rising by 48.9 percent. This is greater than the United States industry change in employment of -14.9 percent. The State of North Carolina saw a change in employment in the sector of . percent, since the year 2001.

In Wilmington, Utilities, Arts, entertainment, and recreation and Construction industries have the highest United States location quotient (LQ). The Utilities industry has an LQ of 2.37. The percent of employment in the Utilities industry is 2.37 times greater than the US average, showing signs that Wilmington produces more than its local requirement of products and/or services of Utilities.

An industry with high wages in Wilmington is the manufacturing industry with wages that annually pay $46,746. From the year 2001, the industry annual average wages have declined by 0.2 percent or $97. The State of North Carolina shows a different job market in the manufacturing industry, ranking in the middle of industries in term of the average annual pay of 2004.





Datasource: U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW).