Aerial photos of downtown Wilmington, N.C.a year after Hurricane Florence on August 29, 2019. (Kevin Blevins/StarNews via USA Today/Reuters)
NC recorded the fourth largest population growth in the United States, and the Port City of Wilmington was among the fastest growing in the state.
North Carolina is proving to be one of the most popular states to move to in the country, with the city of Wilmington being no exception.
At the end of the 2024, the state government reported that North Carolina saw the fourth largest population growth in the United States. More recently, an article from a moving blog called Hire a Helper looked at data from the last year and confirmed that this trend is continuing.
Here’s a look at where people are moving to in North Carolina and the reasons why they’re doing so.
How many people are moving to Wilmington?
Hire a Helper’s analysis comes from a database from PGM Solutions that includes over 18 million moves between June 2024 and May 2025. The analysis found that North Carolina was the fifth most popular state to move to.
In that time period, Wilmington saw 25,703 total moves, making it the eighth most popular destination within the state.
Wilmington’s net population gain was 2,409 people. This was the fifth largest increase statewide, meaning Wilmington saw fewer people leaving than some other areas.
Where are people moving to Wilmington from?
According to Hire a Helper’s data, the top metros feeding Wilmington’s population growth are as follows:
- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (22.33%)
- Raleigh-Cary, North Carolina (16.14%)
- Jacksonville, North Carolina (13.89%)
- Charlotte, North Carolina (11.05%)
- Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina (4.50%)
Most people moving to Wilmington came from other cities inside the state.
Why are people moving to North Carolina?
According to a survey from Hire a Helper, job opportunity and housing were the two largest factors driving migration to the state.
The survey found that “wanted new or better housing” was the reason behind 18.6% of moves, while “wanted cheaper housing” was the reason behind 13% of moves.
“New job or job transfer” was the given reason behind another 14.2% of moves.
All of these given reasons were well above the national average.
Where are people leaving Wilmington to go?
Hire a Helper found that there were 1,844 moves out of Wilmington to other North Carolina metros between June 2024 and May 2025.
The article didn’t provide specific numbers for which cities people moved to, but Raleigh-Cary and the Myrtle Beach Metro were the leading destinations.
What are the other fastest growing cities in N.C.?
Here are the most popular cities to move to in North Carolina by net population gain between June 2024 and May 2025.
- Charlotte: 10,925 people
- Raleigh-Cary: 7,332 people
- Greensboro-High Point: 2,770 people
- Wilmington: 2,409 people
- Durham-Chapel Hill: 2,314 people
Reporting by Charlie Kingree, Wilmington StarNews / Wilmington StarNews
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
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