Assisted Living Communities in Wilmington, North Carolina

Assisted living expenses exceed the state's norm by $1,760 in Wilmington, according to Genworth's 2024 Cost of Care Survey. Prices remain similar in several nearby cities, such as Goldsboro, where care costs $7,492 per month. Seniors looking to stretch their budgets further save about $4,779 by moving to Fayetteville. However, care also costs more in certain locations. Notably, seniors pay approximately $1,074 more for assisted living in Burlington.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for assisted living, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance assisted living costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance assisted living, visit our Assisted Living in North Carolina page.

The cost of assisted living exceeds that of most other types of care in Wilmington. While offering similar support, home care costs $2,000 less per month. However, seniors cut monthly expenses more significantly by utilizing adult day health care, which costs only $1,354. Retirees also acquire medical support through semi-private nursing home accommodations for just $1,170 more than assisted living, reflecting Wilmington's disproportionately high assisted living expenses. 

Assisted living facilities in Wilmington are governed by the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Service Regulation. It licenses assisted living facilities and adult care homes throughout the state and issues and renews administrator certificates and approvals.

• Wilmington experiences ideal mean temperatures, high rainfall levels, more sunny days and much less snow than the U.S. average, making it a perfect climate for seniors searching for a place to retire.
• The city has a reasonable cost of living at 4% lower than the national average. Although its cost of living is higher than the state average, it is still a very affordable place to live.
• Seniors that own property in the city will benefit from taxes that are lower than the rest of the country, although the city’s sales taxes average more than the U.S. median.
• Wilmington experiences shorter commutes than the U.S. average, which has been steadily increasing each year. Although residents get to spend less time in traffic in and around the city, the city also has a low public transportation ridership.
• The city’s per capita income is $31,846, which is significantly higher than the national average of $25,611. However, seniors looking for assisted living communities to settle in will have to pay care costs significantly higher than those in the rest of the country.
• Active seniors will enjoy the abundance of parks in and around the city, and Wilmington has 27 parks to relax in. Those wanting higher activity levels are also well-catered to with 29 golf courses and 16 health clubs in the city’s vicinity.