Wilmington has a certain cache, evidenced by the number of people who have the ability to telecommute and could choose live anywhere around the country, but have selected the Cape Fear area as home. We have a little bit of something for everyone – a wonderful little airport servicing New York, DC, Atlanta and Charlotte; an expanding University (ranked) and highly respected Community College; beautiful beaches just a 15 minute drive from almost anywhere in Wilmington; a riverfront historic downtown; a plethora of gourmet eateries; a historic civil war site; and easy access to Raleigh or the mountains beyond. Southern graciousness has welcomed transplants from all over the country which has created a place where diverse ideas and cultures can expand.

Recreational and Cultural Activities

Wilmington is a mecca of recreational and cultural activities. For those who enjoy outdoor activities, 38 public parks offer tennis, ball fields, lakes for canoeing and paddle boating, running trails and playgrounds. Greenfield Lake alone offers over 200 acres of boating, running and other activities. Over 12 public golf courses offer a challenging experience for golfers at every handicap. The Municipal Course, designed by Donald Ross, is rated as one of the most played public courses in the US. For the more adventuresome, there are ironman triathlons, sprint triathlons, marathons, cycle events and many road races. The Intercoastal Waterway, and over 20 miles of ocean beaches, provide the best boating, paddle boarding, swimming, surfing, beach volleyball and relaxing in the Southeast. If your interest leans more toward watching rather than doing sports, there is the Hammerheads professional soccer team, the Sharks semi-pro baseball team and a wide variety of Division I sports teams at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW).

In addition to outdoor and sporting activities, Wilmington enjoys an abundance of cultural activities. Screen Gem studios makes Wilmington an attractive location for shooting a wide variety of movies and television show. The Cucalorus Annual Film Festival brings 4 days of wonderful and innovative independent films, directors and actors to town. Thalian Hall, the Wilmington Symphony, UNCW and other music and arts organizations insure that concerts, theater and diverse performances are available weekly.

If the Visual Arts or History is your passion, the Cameron Art Museum has a nice permanent collection and many interesting visiting exhibits. Every other Friday night brings a fun open gallery night in the historic downtown. The Bellamy Mansion, the Cape Fear Museum, the Civil War Museum and the Latimer House help keep the history of the area alive. The World War II Battleship North Carolina allows visitors to imagine life aboard a battleship during combat. There is even the Serpetarium, one of the most interesting reptile museums in the world.

Medical Services

An important consideration in choosing where to live is easy access to quality medical care. For a smaller city, Wilmington provides a full range of medical services. The New Hanover Regional Medical Center NHRMC) is the 9th largest health care system in North Carolina. It employees 5400 employees including 565 physicians with practicing privileges. It includes the full range of services such as: Cancer, Family Services; Orthopedics; Heart; Emergency/Trauma; Imaging/Diagnostics; Woman’s Services; Behavioral Services; Rehabilitation, etc. NHRMC not only provides direct patients services, NHRMC is also a teaching hospital, affiliated with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Medical School.

For added emergency or preventative care, there are urgent care facilities scattered throughout New Hanover County.

Wilmington Economy

With nearly 210,000 year round residents in the County, Wilmington enjoys a diverse range of employment options. Wilmington’s economic base includes electronic, medical, telecommunications, pharmaceutical, movie and apparel. Tourism also plays a major part of the economic base.

Some of the larger employers are:

New Hanover Regional Medical Center—employees 5400 staff offering a comprehensive range of medical services.

GE-Wilmington—Wilmington is lucky to have a Fortune 500 company such as GE offering employment to about 2000 residents. This facility is involved in the manufacture of aircraft engine and nuclear energy components.

PPD—this company, headquartered in Wilmington, is a leading contract research organization working in drug discovery, development and lifecycle management.

Corning—it has a fiber optics manufacturing location in Wilmington.

New Hanover County Govt. and County School System—5000 residents work providing public and educational services to local residences. There are 43 schools in the County.

The University of North Carolina—Wilmington—The University brings over $500 million of economic benefit to the region.
For those looking to locate a business in North Carolina, there are several resources. The Wilmington Chamber of Commerce offers a variety of services. Cape Fear Community College has a Small Business Center that helps people looking to start a business. And, the Entrepreneurship Center, associated with UNCW, is an exciting resource to local entrepreneurs.

New Hanover County

• New Hanover County is one of 100 counties located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Though second smallest in area, it is one of the most populous as its county seat, Wilmington, is one of the state’s largest cities.
• Area: 328 sq miles (849.5 km²)
• Founded: 1729
• Population: 209,234 (2012)
• Unemployment rate: 7.9% (Aug 2013)
• County seat: Wilmington
• Colleges and Universities: University of North Carolina at Wilmington,

Pender County

• Pender County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 52,217. Its county seat is Burgaw. Pender County is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. Wikipedia
• Area: 933 sq miles (2,416 km²)
• Founded: 1875
• Population: 54,195 (2012)
• Unemployment rate: 9.4% (Aug 2013)
• County seat: Burgaw

Brunswick County

• Brunswick County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 107,431. Brunswick County is the 37th fastest growing county in the country. Its county seat is Bolivia.
• Area: 1,050 sq miles (2,719 km²)
• Founded: 1764
• County seat: Bolivia
• Population: 112,257 (2012)
• Unemployment rate: 8.7% (Aug 2013)
• University: Brunswick Community College
• Rivers: Lockwood Folly River, Shallotte River