Metro building permits · May 2026

Wilmington NC Building Permits

Monthly residential building permits for the Wilmington NC metropolitan area — 802 units in May 2026, 8,205 over the last 12 months — latest month +20.2% vs. a year earlier. #38 nationally.

802
Units (latest month)
646
Single-family units
144
Multifamily (5+) units
$347,700,000
Reported value
Trailing 12 months: 8,205 units permitted · latest month +20.2% vs. a year earlier.
Total units permitted, by monthDec 2024May 2026
Dec 2024May 2026
Structure typeUnitsShare
Single-family (1-unit)64680.5%
2-unit structures40.5%
3–4 unit structures81.0%
Multifamily (5+ units)14418.0%
All units802100%

Wilmington NC building permits — FAQ

How many building permits were issued in the Wilmington NC metro area?+

802 new residential units were authorized in May 2026, and 8,205 over the trailing 12 months, per the Census Building Permits Survey.

Where does Wilmington NC rank nationally?+

Wilmington NC ranks #38 of 922 U.S. metro/micro areas by units permitted over the last 12 months.

What share is multifamily?+

19.5% of the metro's May 2026 permitted units were in multifamily (2+ unit) buildings.