Wilmington, NC Demographics

A map of Wilmington's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	84,455	79,791	69.9%	69.1%
Black	17,422	18,828	14.4%	16.3%
Hispanic	10,612	9,544	8.8%	8.3%
Multiracial	5,562	4,493	4.6%	3.9%
Asian	1,561	1,826	1.3%	1.6%
Native American/Other	1,193	969	1.0%	0.8%

Wilmington, North Carolina has an estimated population of 120,805, an increase from the 115,451 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 69.9% White, 14.4% Black, 8.8% Hispanic, 4.6% Multiracial, 1.3% Asian, and 1.0% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Wilmington, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Wilmington has become slightly less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than North Carolina overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Wilmington, that probability was 48.7% in 2020 and 48.0% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Wilmington is ranked the 8th most populous place in North Carolina, out of 776 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Wilmington was ranked the 8th most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Wilmington's White Population

84,455 residents of Wilmington, or 69.9% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Wilmington is higher than in North Carolina overall, where 60% of the population is White. Wilmington ranks 408th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 776 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wilmington's White population has grown by an estimated 5.8%. White residents' share of Wilmington's population has increased from 69.1% to 69.9%.

Wilmington is more White than neighboring Hightsville (39.3% White), and Wrightsboro (62.7% White). Wilmington is less White than neighboring Kings Grant (74.5% White), Silver Lake (70.8% White), and Myrtle Grove (86.4% White).

Wilmington's Black Population

17,422 residents of Wilmington, or 14.4% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Wilmington is lower than in North Carolina overall, where 20% of the population is Black. Wilmington ranks 313th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 776 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wilmington's Black population has declined by an estimated 7.5%. Black residents' share of Wilmington's population has decreased from 16.3% to 14.4%.

Wilmington is more Black than neighboring Kings Grant (6.7% Black), Silver Lake (3.4% Black), and Myrtle Grove (4.4% Black). Wilmington is less Black than neighboring Hightsville (43.6% Black), and Wrightsboro (17.8% Black).

Wilmington's Asian Population

1,561 residents of Wilmington, or 1.3% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Wilmington is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 3.3% of the population is Asian. Wilmington ranks 155th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 776 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wilmington's Asian population has declined by an estimated 14.5%. Asian residents' share of Wilmington's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.3%.

Wilmington is more Asian than neighboring Silver Lake (0% Asian), Hightsville (0% Asian), Wrightsboro (0% Asian), and Myrtle Grove (0.5% Asian). Wilmington is less Asian than neighboring Kings Grant (2.1% Asian).

Wilmington's Hispanic Population

10,612 residents of Wilmington, or 8.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Wilmington is slightly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 11.3% of the population is Hispanic. Wilmington ranks 262nd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 776 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wilmington's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 11.2%. Hispanic residents' share of Wilmington's population has increased from 8.3% to 8.8%.

Wilmington is more Hispanic than neighboring Wrightsboro (6.2% Hispanic), and Myrtle Grove (4.4% Hispanic). Wilmington is less Hispanic than neighboring Kings Grant (12.2% Hispanic), Silver Lake (20.6% Hispanic), and Hightsville (12.8% Hispanic).

Wilmington's Native American/Other Population

1,193 residents of Wilmington, or 1.0% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Wilmington is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 1.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Wilmington ranks 326th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 776 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wilmington's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 23.1%. Native American/Other residents' share of Wilmington's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.0%.

Wilmington is more Native American/Other than neighboring Kings Grant (0.6% Native American/Other), Silver Lake (0.6% Native American/Other), Hightsville (0% Native American/Other), Wrightsboro (0.7% Native American/Other), and Myrtle Grove (0.5% Native American/Other).

Wilmington's Multiracial Population

5,562 residents of Wilmington, or 4.6% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Wilmington is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 4.1% of the population is Multiracial. Wilmington ranks 344th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 776 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wilmington's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 23.8%. Multiracial residents' share of Wilmington's population has increased from 3.9% to 4.6%.

Wilmington is more Multiracial than neighboring Kings Grant (3.9% Multiracial), Hightsville (4.3% Multiracial), and Myrtle Grove (3.8% Multiracial). Wilmington is less Multiracial than neighboring Silver Lake (4.7% Multiracial), and Wrightsboro (12.6% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.