Retiring to Wilmington, NC
Selling a home for $525,000 and keeping $150,000 in the bank leaves room to buy in 4 of 16 Wilmington neighborhoods with 5+ sales, Oct 2025–Sep 2026 (after 6% selling costs, buying at the neighborhood median). Property tax in Wilmington runs about 0.72% of value a year (Census ACS 2023).
Questions? Call or text Chris Harris, REALTOR®: (270) 421-8726.
Next steps, your choice
Plan a scouting week
One neighborhood a day: the drive to the hospital and homes to see.
Plan my visitShare with family
A link that reopens this page on the same town. Nothing else is in it.
Ask Chris
Chris Harris, REALTOR®, reads every note himself. He is not licensed in North Carolina, so for showings and offers he introduces you to a licensed agent there; he may receive a referral fee from that agent’s brokerage, which does not change your price. Can’t visit first? Say so in your note.
Ask Chris
Every neighborhood we have numbers for
Neighborhoods with 5+ sales, Oct 2025–Sep 2026 (Redfin), cheapest first by town. Drive times are not shown here yet: our routing estimate did not match Google Maps closely enough.
| Neighborhood | Town | Median sale | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Kerr | Wilmington | $219,938 | 27 |
| Old East Wilmington | Wilmington | $252,429 | 29 |
| Devon Park | Wilmington | $258,428 | 53 |
| Southside | Wilmington | $342,404 | 105 |
| Rogersville-Bradley Creek | Wilmington | $406,386 | 29 |
| Lincoln Forest | Wilmington | $409,885 | 36 |
| Northside | Wilmington | $431,129 | 90 |
| Downtown Wilmington | Wilmington | $438,877 | 65 |
| Windemere | Wilmington | $472,368 | 52 |
| Pine Valley | Wilmington | $476,367 | 57 |
| Forest Hills | Wilmington | $518,855 | 39 |
| Long Leaf Hills | Wilmington | $524,853 | 36 |
| Mayfaire | Wilmington | $550,846 | 36 |
| Kirkland | Wilmington | $642,820 | 52 |
| Masonboro Sound | Wilmington | $820,770 | 80 |
| Landfall | Wilmington | $1,394,609 | 110 |
Redfin groups these with Wilmington, but we have no map location for them yet, so we can’t confirm they are in town: Dry Pond, Sunset Park-Woodlawn, Chestnut Heights-Princess Place, Echo East-Carriage Hills, Monkey Junction, Carolina Place-Ardmore, The Bottom, Echo Farms-Rivers Edge, College Acres-Hillsdale, Eastwind-Piney Acres, Pine Grove-Beasley, Lansdowne-Pine Valley East, The Cape, River Lights, Seagate South, Millbrook-Masonboro Loop, Beau Rivage Plantation, Glen Meade-South Oleander, Wrightville Sound.
Check crime data
We don’t grade neighborhoods on crime. Look up the streets you’re considering in Wilmington with the agency that patrols them:
- Wilmington Police Department (city police)
- FBI Crime Data Explorer (agency-level reports)
What North Carolina doesn’t tax
- Elderly or Disabled Homestead Exclusion: the greater of $25,000 or 50% of the appraised value of the permanent residence is excluded for owners 65 and older with 2025 income of $38,800 or less (2026 limit; the Circuit Breaker deferral uses $58,200). Apply with the county tax office (Form AV-9).
Full details: North Carolina retirement taxes →
Source: North Carolina Department of Revenue memo to county assessors, June 27, 2025 (read 2026-10-17). Figures change each year; confirm with the agency before you rely on them. Not tax advice.
The twenty-year test
Which of these do you need in the house you will live in for twenty years?
Email me homes that pass
The alert matches what the listing feed has: price, bedrooms, bathrooms, year built and house type. Chris checks each match for the features the listing feed can’t see.
Home prices: Redfin neighborhood medians, Jul–Sep 2026, neighborhoods with 5+ sales. Property tax: Census ACS 2023 effective rates. Selling costs estimated at 6% of the sale price.