Wilmington’s housing market keeps splitting in two directions. Sale prices in New Hanover County dropped 3.0% year over year to $480,000, while Pender County pushed the other way — up 6.2% to $476,627. What ties the three counties together is inventory: active listings are up between 5% and 23% versus a year ago, and homes are sitting on the market roughly 30-plus days longer than they did last spring. Below is the read on what May 2026 data — the freshest county-level closing numbers available — means for anyone buying or selling here right now, plus where mortgage rates landed heading into July.
By the Numbers
Here’s the May 2026 snapshot for the three counties that make up the Wilmington market. Median sale price, year-over-year change, median days on market, and total homes sold — all closings, all property types, 30-day rolling period.
| County | Median Sale Price | Year-over-Year | Days on Market | Homes Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hanover | $480,000 | −3.0% | 59 days | 397 |
| Brunswick | $396,900 | +1.8% | 92 days | 637 |
| Pender | $476,627 | +6.2% | 61 days | 142 |
Source: Redfin Data Center, 30-day period ending May 31, 2026.
New Hanover County
New Hanover — Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, and Carolina Beach — saw a median sale price of $480,000, down 3.0% from a year ago, with homes selling in a median of 59 days, about 35 days longer than a year ago. 397 homes sold in the latest month — down 3.2% year over year. Active inventory is up 23.5%, giving buyers roughly 3.9 months of supply to work with. 15% of homes still closed above list.
Brunswick County
Brunswick — Leland, Southport, Oak Island, and the Brunswick beaches — saw a median sale price of $396,900, up 1.8% from a year ago, with homes selling in a median of 92 days, about 39 days longer than a year ago. 637 homes sold in the latest month — up 14.4% year over year. Inventory jumped 21.4%, and months of supply sits at 4.6. Only 8% of sales closed above list — the softest of the three counties, driven mostly by the volume of new-construction inventory west of the river.
Pender County
Pender — Hampstead, the Topsail area, Burgaw, and Rocky Point — saw a median sale price of $476,627, up 6.2% from a year ago, with homes selling in a median of 61 days, about 34 days longer than a year ago. 142 homes sold in the latest month — up 6.8% year over year. Inventory rose 5.9%, months of supply is 3.8, and 16% of homes closed above asking. The Hampstead/Topsail corridor is doing most of the price-side work here.
Where Rates Stand
The Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey came in at 6.43% for the 30-year fixed and 5.79% for the 15-year on July 2, 2026, per the weekly PMMS release. That’s down modestly from 6.49% a week ago and roughly flat with 6.48% a month ago. A year ago rates were at 6.95%. On a $500,000 loan, this month’s rate translates to about $3,137 in monthly principal and interest — roughly $172 less per month than a buyer would have paid at 2024’s rate for the same loan. Rates have held in the low-to-mid 6s for most of the last three months, which is why the market has been able to absorb the inventory increase without prices collapsing.
What’s Happening in Washington & Raleigh
A few real-estate-relevant items moved in the last 30 days that matter for Wilmington buyers and sellers:
- Fed holds, watches inflation: The FOMC held the federal funds rate steady at its most recent meeting and signaled a data-dependent posture for the remainder of the year. Mortgage rates track the 10-year Treasury more than the fed funds rate directly, but a Fed that isn’t cutting yet is a Fed that isn’t pushing mortgage rates lower either.
- NAR buyer-agency compliance is now routine: A year into the NAR settlement changes, written buyer-broker agreements are standard practice in every offer. Cooperative compensation is negotiated per deal, not assumed. For Wilmington buyers this means understanding what your representation costs and how it’s paid before you write.
- FHA loan limits: The 2026 FHA loan limit for a one-unit home in New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender counties is $524,225 (baseline). With a Brunswick County median sale price of $396,900 and a New Hanover median of $480,000, most primary-residence buyers here can still use FHA if they want to.
- Short-term rental scrutiny: Coastal towns from Wrightsville Beach to Oak Island continue to tighten short-term rental permitting and enforcement. If you’re buying with a rental income assumption, verify the town’s current ordinance in writing before you go under contract — not after.
Wilmington Market Read
Here’s what agents on our team are actually seeing in the field. New Hanover — especially the beach markets and the Wilmington in-town neighborhoods (Forest Hills, Historic Downtown, Landfall, Autumn Hall) — is still moving well on the right list price. 15% of homes closed above list last month, but the ones that sold above list were priced right on day one. The ones that hit the market at last-year’s price sat, dropped, and traded below list a month later. Days on market are up 35 days year over year — that’s the tell.
Brunswick is a two-market story. Resale product in Leland, Southport, and Oak Island is competing with new-construction incentives from the county‘s active builder pipeline. When a builder is buying a rate down two full points and covering closing costs, a resale seller can’t out-price them — they have to out-story them (location, layout, dock, view, established landscaping). Sellers who lean on those differentiators are getting offers. Sellers who list on comps and wait are seeing 92-day medians turn into 120-plus-day realities.
Pender is the strongest of the three on the price side (6.2% YoY), and it’s coming almost entirely from the Hampstead/Topsail Beach corridor. School attendance zones, drive time to Wilmington, and beach access are doing the work. The Burgaw side of the county tells a different story — more affordable, slower velocity. If you’re buying in Pender, know which market you’re actually in.
Underneath all three counties: the DOM increase is the single most important trend of the quarter. Longer time on market means seller expectations and buyer expectations are further apart than they were a year ago. That gap closes one of two ways — sellers adjust down, or rates give buyers more room. Right now sellers are doing most of the adjusting.
What This Means for You
If you’re buying: You have more inventory to choose from than at any point in the last two years, and you have negotiating room that didn’t exist last spring. Focus on homes that have been on the market 45+ days — that’s where the price flexibility is. Get pre-underwritten, not just pre-approved, so you can move fast on the right house. And take a hard look at new construction in Brunswick — the rate buydowns and closing-cost coverage are real money.
If you’re selling: Price to today, not to what your neighbor got in 2024. The homes selling above list are the ones priced correctly on day one — the ones chasing the market down are losing 5 to 10 percent by the time they trade. If your home is under contract in 30 days, you priced it right. If it’s still active at day 60, the market is telling you something and it will keep telling you louder every week until you listen. Pre-inspect, stage light, and be responsive on showings — buyers have options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wilmington NC a buyer’s market or seller’s market in July 2026?
By months-of-supply, all three counties sit between 3.8 and 4.6 months — technically balanced, leaning slightly toward buyers. That’s a real shift from a year ago, when the same counties were closer to 3 months across the board. Homes are still selling, but sellers no longer set the terms.
What’s the median home price in Wilmington NC right now?
New Hanover County — the core Wilmington market — had a median sale price of $480,000 in May 2026. Brunswick came in at $396,900 and Pender at $476,627. Prices vary widely by neighborhood, waterfront access, and new-construction vs. resale.
Where are mortgage rates today?
Freddie Mac’s weekly PMMS put the 30-year fixed at 6.43% and the 15-year at 5.79% for the week of July 2, 2026. Your personal quote will vary based on credit, down payment, loan type, and points.
Are Wilmington home prices going down in 2026?
Split answer. New Hanover is down 3.0% year over year, Pender is up 6.2%, and Brunswick is essentially flat at +1.8%. County-level averages hide big neighborhood-level variation — a Wrightsville Beach single-family is a different market than a Leland new-construction townhome.
About Tidal Realty Partners
Tidal Realty Partners is a Wilmington-based team of Real Broker, LLC. We work with buyers and sellers across New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender counties — from Wrightsville Beach to Southport to Hampstead. Matthew Kane (NC Broker License #297432) is a USMC veteran and the team’s broker-owner. If you want a straight read on your own house, your own street, or a specific neighborhood you’re considering, that conversation is free.
Matthew Kane — Broker, Real Broker, LLC (NC Firm #C34379)
5215 Junction Park Drive, Suite 200, Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 372-6720 · info@tidalrealtypartners.com
Sources
- Redfin Data Center — county-level all-residential closing data, period ending May 31, 2026
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey — weekly 30-year and 15-year fixed mortgage rate, July 2, 2026
- FRED — 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average (MORTGAGE30US) — 24-month rate history
- National Association of REALTORS® — Facts — settlement compliance updates
- HUD FHA Mortgage Limits — 2026 New Hanover/Brunswick/Pender loan limit
