Renting an apartment is generally considered to be a cheaper alternative to owning, or even renting, a house. But that raises the question: how expensive can apartment living get?
The data shows that the average cost of renting an apartment in Wilmington is steadily climbing -- up 6.2% from last year to $1,419 per month for the average apartment as of August 2026, according to Apartments.com.
But that seems cheap compared to Wilmington’s most expensive listed apartment, which comes in just over $6,000 a month. That $6,000 does get you considerably more than the average apartment, though it’s up to you to decide if that’s worth four times as much.
The most expensive apartment in Wilmington
According to Apartments.com,
the most expensive apartment is at the Proximity Watermark, a luxury apartment complex located off River Road and facing the Cape Fear River.
The Proximity Watermark lists a three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment as its most expensive floor plan, with prices starting at $6,075 as of Aug 18, 2026. This made it the most expensive apartment listed for rent in Wilmington.
For reference, the average monthly cost of a three-bedroom was $2,032 in August 2026.
Several of the runners-up for the most expensive apartment in Wilmington were also located along the Cape Fear River.
And while Wilmington’s most expensive apartment is over four times as expensive as the average apartment, it’s also more than twice the size. According to Apartments.com, the average apartment in Wilmington is 730 square feet, while the three-bedroom plan at the Proximity Watermark is 1,760 square feet.
But what about the other end of the spectrum? Here's how cheap you can rent an apartment for in Wilmington.
The cheapest apartment in Wilmington
If you're willing to live with roommates, Apartments.com shows the cheapest place to rent in Wilmington is at Seahawk Cove, a community geared toward UNCW students. As of Aug. 18, you could rent a room in a three-bedroom apartment starting at around $715, which comes out to $2,145 combined across all three bedrooms.
As for the cheapest overall apartment, Hanover Landing was offering a one-bedroom starting at just under $1,000.
Charlie Kingree is the trending topics and Pender County reporter for the StarNews. He can be reached at ckingree@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: This is the most expensive apartment for rent in Wilmington
