Oak Island is the year-round island with groceries, restaurants and winter neighbors. Holden Beach is quieter, nearly all residential, thinner on inventory.

Oak Island has about 8,400 year-round residents in a housing stock more than half empty most of the year. Quiet winters, crowded summers, and you pay for sand.

Southport is not a budget coastal town, and the swings come from your tax districts and your insurance. Median asking price in ZIP 28461 is $499,000.

For many retirees, yes: a walkable downtown, a hospital in town, no state tax on Social Security. The trade-offs are the Wilmington drive and flood risk.

New Yorkers trade a $749,000 median list price for $475,000, a 6.85% state tax bracket for 3.99%, and 30 inches of snow for one.

There is no best one. Magnolia Greens is the value buy, Brunswick Forest has the town center, and Compass Pointe is gated with the newest amenities.

For most buyers moving across the river, yes. Leland gives you newer homes and a short drive to Wilmington, with bridge traffic and construction as the trade.

What Are the Best Public Schools in Wilmington, NC? The best public schools in Wilmington, NC are largely concentrated in a few key areas. If I had to name names,…