Most of Wilmington is in New Hanover County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $39.01 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 11 ZIP codes in Wilmington with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,040 to $1,470 a month. At the middle rent, $1,190, a full-time job would need to pay $37.50 an hour before taxes.
What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.
| ZIP | County | Studio rent | Pay needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28401 | New Hanover County | $1,040/mo | $32.22/hr |
| 28402 | New Hanover County | $1,190/mo | $37.50/hr |
| 28403 | New Hanover County | $1,180/mo | $37.12/hr |
| 28404 | New Hanover County | $1,190/mo | $37.50/hr |
| 28405 | New Hanover County | $1,210/mo | $38.26/hr |
| 28406 | New Hanover County | $1,190/mo | $37.50/hr |
| 28408 | New Hanover County | $1,190/mo | $37.50/hr |
| 28409 | New Hanover County | $1,350/mo | $43.53/hr |
| 28410 | New Hanover County | $1,190/mo | $37.50/hr |
| 28411 | New Hanover County | $1,470/mo | $48.05/hr |
| 28412 | New Hanover County | $1,240/mo | $39.39/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Wilmington needs to pay at least $39.01 an hour before taxes, about $81,138 a year. That is the figure for New Hanover County, where the typical studio rent is $1,230 a month.
Yes. Across the 11 ZIP codes in Wilmington with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,040 to $1,470 a month. At the middle rent of $1,190, the pay needed would be $37.50 an hour.
The minimum wage in New Hanover County is $7.25 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 5.4 times that.
The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads