Best Assisted Living Facilities in Wilmington, NC

Our Methodology: How We Chose the Best Assisted Living in Wilmington

Wilmington doesn’t have as many assisted living facilities as nearby cities like Charlotte, which made it even more important to identify the communities that stand above the others in the area. To narrow down the contenders, we conducted 50 hours of research, focusing on several important factors.

• Cost: The cost of assisted living in Wilmington is somewhat high compared to the city’s median cost of living. Since older adults who need assisted living have different financial situations, we try to balance cost with value.
• Available care: Every community on our list provides at least one service or lifestyle option plus assisted living. Common options include independent living, memory care, and respite care.
• Reviews: We read hundreds of reviews and included the most pertinent information in our analysis. Groups of reviews often include common themes related to the advantages or disadvantages of a community.
• Amenities: Amenities set assisted living apart from a facility that provides only medical care. We focus our research on communities with more than one special amenity to make assisted living fun and engaging.
• Location: Location is not as important in a midsize city like Wilmington, but it still plays a role in the research process. We include assisted living communities close to popular attractions such as parks, golf courses, and shopping.
• Staff size: We highlighted assisted living communities that offer high staff-to-resident ratios, often with a maximum of eight residents per caregiver.

How to Find the Right Assisted Living Community for You

We selected our top picks for assisted living in Wilmington, but you’ll need to consider a variety of factors specific to you, your situation, and your family to make the right decision. Here are a few things to think about as you compare communities.

• Identify your needs: Are you struggling to get in and out of the bathtub? Do you often forget when to take your medication? What specific types of care are you looking for? Answering these questions will help you identify your needs and find a community that can satisfy them.
• Review your budget: Wilmington is not an expensive city compared to similarly sized cities in the United States, but the cost of assisted living is still pretty high. While analyzing your budget, remember Medicare doesn’t cover assisted living in most cases and many seniors depend on Social Security benefits, retirement savings, and long-term care insurance to cover costs.
• Read reviews: Reading community reviews can help you understand the pros and cons of living there. Many reviews are written by staff and family members (not as many by residents), which means you can get insights related to the working environment for caregivers and the potential difficulties families face.
• Visit communities: Seeing an assisted living community in person helps you get a feel for day-to-day life there. It’s the next best thing to actually moving in! You can talk to residents, ask questions of staff members, and see if the community suits your tastes and needs.
• Check licensing and certifications: While researching a community, check that it has up-to-date licensing and certifications to operate in North Carolina.
• Trust your gut: When in doubt, don’t let yourself stress! Choosing an assisted living community is a big decision, but if you find yourself trying to pick between two or three good options, trust your gut.

What Is Living in Wilmington Like for Seniors?

Wilmington is slower and more relaxed than most big cities, a huge plus for seniors who want to enjoy a tranquil environment. As a coastal city, it also gives residents access to various environments. Below is a quick look at what life is like for older adults in Wilmington.

• Climate: Wilmington has a humid subtropical climate with mild winters and hot summers. Fortunately, the sea breeze helps make summer temperatures bearable, making it a comfortable climate for older adults.
• Health care: Wilmington has several major hospitals and dozens of clinics that perform well against state- and national-level data.
• Cost of living: The cost of living in Wilmington is average to slightly below average. It is roughly 4 percent lower than the national average, but the cost of assisted living in Wilmington is well above the national average.
• Walkability: Certain areas of Wilmington are walkable, such as Downtown and Carolina Heights, but most of the city is better for biking. Fortunately, many assisted living communities in Wilmington provide transportation services, and Wilmington has several public bus routes.
• Activities: Despite its relatively small size compared to Charlotte, Wilmington has a lot of fun activities for seniors. Some of the most popular activity sites include public parks, golf courses, museums, nature reserves, and local beaches.
• Safety: Wilmington is generally a safe city for people of all ages. It does not see a lot of violent crime, but certain neighborhoods are more dangerous than others.
• Tax structure: North Carolina’s income tax rate is 4.75 percent, which is lower than the national The state doesn’t have inheritance or estate taxes, which could have a positive impact on your estate planning.

How Much Does Assisted Living Cost in Wilmington, North Carolina?

According to Genworth, the estimated median cost of an assisted living community in Wilmington is $7,755 per month in 2024. That’s nearly 29 percent higher than the national median of

Compared to most other cities in the region, Wilmington has much higher costs associated with assisted living and senior care. There are fewer assisted living communities in Wilmington, however, which may make the median appear higher based on the fees of just a few facilities. A community’s location and the level of care you require can impact your costs. Memory care, for example, tends to be far more expensive than assisted living, since it requires more intensive care. Either way, you can often find communities with base fees that fall well below the average for the city.