How Wilmington fits into New Hanover County and North Carolina: the city, the county, New Hanover County Schools, the neighboring towns within 15 miles, and which one to call for what.

Wilmington sits in New Hanover County, North Carolina. Three layers of local government share the work here, and knowing which does what saves time: the city, the county and the school district are separate bodies with separate budgets, separate boards and separate elections.

The city

The city of Wilmington runs the police department, most local streets, parks, water and sewer where it operates them, zoning and building permits, code enforcement and trash and recycling contracts. The city council sets the property tax rate for the city’s share and adopts the budget each year. Council agendas are published before every meeting; we report from them on the news pages.

The county

New Hanover County runs the courts, the jail, the sheriff’s office (which polices the unincorporated areas and serves warrants countywide), property records and the recorder or clerk’s office, elections, public health, and the county roads outside city limits. The county appraiser or assessor values property for tax; the county treasurer or tax collector collects it for every taxing body. Real estate transfers in our weekly column come from the county record.

The school district

Public schools in Wilmington are run by New Hanover County Schools, an independent body with its own elected board, its own budget and, in most states, its own line on your property tax bill. District boundaries do not follow city limits: some Wilmington addresses are zoned to neighboring districts, and the district may include parts of other towns. School board agendas and state report cards are the primary sources for our education coverage.

The neighbors

These are the places over 5,000 people within about 15 miles of Wilmington, nearest first. We name them when a story touches them, with the distance:

  • Myrtle Grove (about 6 miles)
  • Murraysville (about 6 miles)
  • Leland (about 9 miles)
  • Carolina Beach (about 12 miles)

Wilmington by the numbers

From the 2023 American Community Survey five-year estimates (U.S. Census Bureau):

Measure Wilmington
Population 118,578
Median household income $63,900
Median home value (owner-occupied) $350,300
Median age 37.5
Adults 25 and over with a bachelor’s degree or higher 45.8%

Estimates carry margins of error; treat them as a picture, not a count.

Who to call

  • Police non-emergency: the Wilmington Police Department (emergencies: 911).
  • Outside city limits: the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.
  • Property records and deeds: the New Hanover County recorder / clerk.
  • Weather warnings: the National Weather Service office for this area is ILM; we publish its alerts for Wilmington as they are issued.