CostIndexUSA

Gainesville, FL vs Wilmington, NC Cost of Living

Data: BEA Regional Price Parities · Census ACS · 2024

≈ Equal CostFL
Gainesville
96.7
overall index
$1,650/mo rent
NC
Wilmington
96.4
overall index
$1,700/mo rent

Gainesville and Wilmington have nearly identical costs of living.

Category Breakdown

Index values: 100 = U.S. national average. Higher = more expensive.

🏠 Housing≈ Equal
Gainesville
93
Wilmington
93.2
🛒 Groceries≈ Equal
Gainesville
96.2
Wilmington
96.6
🚗 Transportation0.7%
Gainesville
103.8
Wilmington
103.1
🏥 Healthcare0.6%
Gainesville
93.9
Wilmington
93.3
Utilities≈ Equal
Gainesville
88.2
Wilmington
87.9

Salary Equivalency Calculator

Enter your current salary in Gainesville to see what you'd need to earn in Wilmington to maintain the same purchasing power.

$
Equivalent salary in Wilmington, NC
$79,800
$200 less needed in Wilmington

Formula: salary × (96.4 ÷ 96.7) = salary × 0.9969. Based on BEA Regional Price Parities.

Housing Market

Gainesville, FL

Median Home Price
$294,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,650
Housing Index
93
Price-to-Rent Ratio
14.8×

Wilmington, NC

Median Home Price
$432,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,700
Housing Index
93.2
Price-to-Rent Ratio
21.2×

Income & Job Market

Gainesville, FL

Median Household Income
$59,300
Per Capita Income
$33,800
Unemployment Rate
4%
Population
140,003
Top Industries
EducationHealthcareTechnologyGovernmentResearch

Wilmington, NC

Median Household Income
$76,900
Per Capita Income
$43,800
Unemployment Rate
4.3%
Population
115,451
Top Industries
HealthcareTourismTechnologyEducationMilitary

Affordability at a Glance

Income-to-rent ratio: higher is better (more income relative to housing costs).

Gainesville, FL
3.0×income-to-rent ratio

67% of income left after rent (median)

Wilmington, NC
3.8×income-to-rent ratio

73% of income left after rent (median)

Data Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities 2024; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Zillow Research.

Cost indices use 100 as the U.S. national average. Values above 100 indicate costs above the national average. Data is updated annually.

This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for relocation or financial decisions.