Wilmington Island, Georgia Demographics & Population 2026

Population Overview

Wilmington Island is a small city located in Georgia, within Chatham County. The total population is 13,905. It ranks as the 96th most populous out of 669 Census-designated places in Georgia.

Age Demographics

The median age in Wilmington Island is 45.2 years. This is 20% higher than the state median of 37.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Wilmington Island is $93,924. This is 21% higher than the state median of $77,353. It is also 16% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 4.2%. This is 68% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.4%. This exceptionally low poverty rate indicates strong economic prosperity across the community. The unemployment rate is 3.5%. This is 31% lower than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $404,900. Housing costs are 33% higher than the state median of $303,300. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.3x. 77.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 17% higher than the state average of 65.7%.

Race & Ethnicity

Wilmington Island has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 90.5% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.7%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (90.5% vs 49.1%). The Black or African American population (1.2%) is well below the state average of 30.7%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.7%) is well below the state average of 11.0%. The Asian population (2.2%) is well below the state average of 4.5%.

Education

52.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Wilmington Island in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 51% higher than the state rate of 34.9%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 98.2%. Notably, 19.1% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Wilmington Island, Georgia is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Georgia state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 669 Census-designated places in Georgia. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.