Is Harrisburg cheaper than Wilmington?

They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Harrisburg and Wilmington metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.

Which has higher household income, Harrisburg or Wilmington?

Harrisburg has the higher median household income — $80,904 versus $78,890 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 3% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Harrisburg or Wilmington?

It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($82,011 versus $81,817).

Which has cheaper rent, Harrisburg or Wilmington?

Harrisburg has cheaper rent — a median of $1,254/mo versus $1,578/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Harrisburg vs Wilmington

Metro-area medians — Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA Metro Area vs Wilmington, NC Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Wilmington comes out ahead, winning 4 of the 7 clearly-decided measures.

Harrisburg and Wilmington are closely matched on both cost of living and household income. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches about as far in either.

Their widest everyday difference: Wilmington has the tighter job market — 2.5% unemployment versus 3.3%.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Harrisburg, PA

$59,011

take-home / yr · 21% to tax

$59,819

real value after local prices

Wilmington, NC

$58,668

take-home / yr · 22% to tax

$60,845

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Wilmington leaves you about $1,026/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure

Harrisburg

Wilmington

Livability (CityLedger)

60/100

65/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

98.7

96.4

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$82,011

$81,817

Median household income

$80,904

$78,890

Median rent

$1,254/mo

$1,578/mo

Median home value

$282,600

$397,300

Unemployment

3.3%

2.5%

Bachelor's degree or higher

36.4%

41.3%

Average commute

22.5 min

23.7 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

55°F

64°F

Choose Harrisburg for

+ Median rent
+ Median home value
+ Average commute

Full Harrisburg profile →

Choose Wilmington for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Unemployment
+ Bachelor's degree or higher
+ Air quality (median AQI)

Full Wilmington profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Harrisburg and Wilmington on cost, income, size, and education.

Harrisburg vs Spokane→Harrisburg vs Syracuse→Harrisburg vs Lancaster→Wilmington vs Asheville→Wilmington vs Lancaster→Wilmington vs Palm Bay→

Harrisburg vs Wilmington — frequently asked

Is Harrisburg cheaper than Wilmington?: They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Harrisburg and Wilmington metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Harrisburg or Wilmington?: Harrisburg has the higher median household income — $80,904 versus $78,890 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 3% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Harrisburg or Wilmington?: It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($82,011 versus $81,817).
Which has cheaper rent, Harrisburg or Wilmington?: Harrisburg has cheaper rent — a median of $1,254/mo versus $1,578/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).