Wrightsville Beach, NC housing market
The typical Wrightsville Beach home is worth about $1,773,000, up 9.8% in a year, 430% above the North Carolina typical home. Homes typically sell in 195 days, below asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Wrightsville Beach compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Wrightsville Beach at a glance
A seller's market
Supply is tight — about 3.5 months of homes for sale at the current pace. Buyers should expect competition on well-priced homes.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Wrightsville Beach | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $807,000 | $179,000 |
| 2018 | $838,000 | $190,000 |
| 2019 | $866,000 | $203,000 |
| 2020 | $901,000 | $215,000 |
| 2021 | $1,020,000 | $242,000 |
| 2022 | $1,356,000 | $287,000 |
| 2023 | $1,502,000 | $320,000 |
| 2024 | $1,516,000 | $332,000 |
| 2025 | $1,586,000 | $338,000 |
| 2026 | $1,681,000 | $336,000 |
| August 2026 | $1,773,000 | $335,000 |
12 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 12 new homes in Wrightsville Beach in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $4 million to build. That's 4.5 per 1,000 residents, slower than across North Carolina (11). Over the past 10 years, Wrightsville Beach has permitted 125 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Wrightsville Beach's population fell by 4 even though 98 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. 47% of Wrightsville Beach's homes are seasonal or vacation homes, which adds housing without adding residents. Across North Carolina: 1.7 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 8 | 8 | 0 | $2.7 million |
| 2025 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $4 million |
| 2024 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $3.7 million |
| 2023 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $3.6 million |
| 2022 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $4.7 million |
| 2021 | 19 | 17 | 2 | $3.9 million |
| 2020 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $7.6 million |
| 2019 | 11 | 9 | 2 | $6.9 million |
| 2018 | 15 | 9 | 6 | $8.3 million |
| 2017 | 12 | 8 | 4 | $6.9 million |
| 2016 | 10 | 8 | 2 | $7.6 million |
| 2015 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $11.6 million |
| 2014 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $9.7 million |
| 2013 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $8.3 million |
| 2012 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $4.1 million |
| 2011 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $2.4 million |
| 2010 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $2.2 million |
| 2009 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2008 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $5.3 million |
| 2007 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $8.1 million |
| 2006 | 42 | 28 | 14 | $21 million |
| 2005 | 68 | 38 | 30 | $25.5 million |
| 2004 | 50 | 38 | 12 | $15.7 million |
| 2003 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $6.5 million |
| 2002 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $5.7 million |
| 2001 | 13 | 9 | 4 | $3.4 million |
| 2000 | 28 | 12 | 16 | $6.3 million |
Wrightsville Beach's permit office didn't report to the Census in 2025, so the 2025 figures are Census estimates.
How Wrightsville Beach ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
11.7 years of income
The typical Wrightsville Beach home costs about 11.7 years of the town's median household income, more than across North Carolina (4.6 years).
How Wrightsville Beach ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $2,460
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Wrightsville Beach is $2,460 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Wrightsville Beach pay a median of $2,336. A two-bedroom takes about 19% of the town's median household income.
Studio $1,690 · 4 bedrooms $3,430
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (28480; Wilmington, NC HUD Metro FMR Area), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Recent listings in Wrightsville Beach
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.