Wilmington's housing market is not one market. It is a handful of very different ones: a golf-and-water enclave like Landfall, big master-planned neighborhoods like Riverlights and Sidbury Station, walkable historic streets downtown, and beach-side streets near Wilmington Beach. This guide ranks the 20 communities in New Hanover County with the most closed sales over the last 12 months (October 14, 2025 to October 13, 2026) and shows what each one costs to buy and own.

The county recorded 4,102 closed single-family, townhome and condo sales in that window, with a median price of $475,000. These 20 communities account for 917 of those sales, about 22%.

The Top 20 at a Glance

# Community Sales Median Price Typical Range $/sq ft HOA / Year Taxes / Year
1 Riverlights 164 $541K $425K to $773K $265 $1,740 to $2,940 $2,190
2 Sidbury Station 133 $407K $328K to $458K $185 $1,080 to $3,180 n/a
3 Landfall 101 $1.42M $805K to $2.85M $398 $4,050 to $4,290 $6,770
4 Wilmington Beach 40 $868K $642K to $1.3M $401 None reported $3,330
5 Porters Neck Plantation 38 $872K $638K to $1.05M $296 $1,040 to $1,910 $2,640
6 Echo Farms 36 $492K $288K to $598K $195 $650 to $4,140 $2,780
7 The Cape 35 $550K $375K to $772K $236 $850 to $930 $2,030
8 River Bluffs 35 $685K $547K to $1.07M $276 $2,870 to $7,190 $2,340
9 Downtown 34 $350K $199K to $513K $300 Rarely listed (2 of 34) $1,750
10 East and Mason 34 $684K $521K to $1.32M $258 $1,320 to $5,040 n/a
11 Pine Valley Estates 30 $482K $407K to $650K $257 None reported $2,540
12 Riverlights - Del Webb 30 $551K $442K to $736K $271 $1,310 to $4,400 $3,340
13 Historic District 28 $612K $365K to $1M $344 $1,780 to $3,900 (7 sales) $2,620
14 Village at Motts Landing 27 $665K $542K to $884K $252 $2,890 to $7,420 $2,400
15 Sunset Park 26 $326K $218K to $462K $261 Rarely listed (1 of 26) $1,550
16 Anchors Bend 26 $625K $521K to $1.03M $259 $1,200 to $1,800 $2,770
17 Northchase 26 $367K $300K to $458K $216 $560 to $570 $1,360
18 Waterstone 26 $1.03M $825K to $1.28M $331 $1,680 $3,800
19 Fawn Valley 24 $583K $501K to $699K $232 $1,200 $1,900
20 Timbers at Whiskey Branch 24 $696K $557K to $842K $251 $2,450 to $5,250 n/a

Typical range is the 10th to 90th percentile of sold prices. HOA and tax ranges follow the same trimming. "n/a" means too few usable tax records to report a reliable figure, which is common in neighborhoods with mostly new construction.

Community Profiles

1. Riverlights

The county's top seller with 164 closings (152 single-family, 12 townhomes), a $541K median and a median of 47 days on market. Most homes are new to seven years old, and the median HOA is about $1,860 a year.

2. Sidbury Station

The value leader of the big sellers: 133 sales at a $407K median and just $185 per square foot, the lowest of the 20. About 90% of homes were built in 2025 or 2026, and the median home sold in 21 days.

3. Landfall

The luxury benchmark. 101 sales with a $1.42M median, a range that stretches to $2.85M, homes from about 2,160 to 5,570 square feet, and the highest taxes of the group at $6,770. Median HOA is about $4,170.

4. Wilmington Beach

The priciest per square foot ($401) on a mix of 20 single-family homes, 15 townhomes and 5 condos, with a median price of $868K. No HOA fees were reported, and the median home sold in about 25 days.

5. Porters Neck Plantation

All 38 sales were single-family homes at an $872K median. Homes took a median of 69 days to sell, and HOA runs $1,040 to $1,910.

6. Echo Farms

An established community with a wide price span ($288K to $598K), homes up to about 51 years old, a median HOA near $970 and a quick median of about 24 days on market.

7. The Cape

All 35 sales were single-family homes at a $550K median with low HOA dues ($850 to $930). The median sale took 54 days.

8. River Bluffs

Riverfront-oriented living at a $685K median, with the highest HOA range outside Landfall ($2,870 to $7,190; median about $3,540). Homes sat a median of 88 days.

9. Downtown

The most varied housing stock in the list: 800 to 1,820 square feet, homes up to 123 years old, and a $350K median. HOA fees are rarely listed, and the median home sold in about 21 days.

10. East and Mason

Nearly all new construction (90% built 2023 or later) split between 22 single-family homes and 12 townhomes, at a $684K median. Median HOA is about $1,320 and the median sale took 40 days.

11. Pine Valley Estates

An established, no-HOA neighborhood of homes 45 to 69 years old at a $482K median. Homes sold in a median of 25 days.

12. Riverlights - Del Webb

The 55+ side of Riverlights, listed as its own subdivision in the MLS. Homes are 4 to 9 years old, the median is $551K and the median HOA is about $3,200. The median sale took about 81 days.

13. Historic District

28 sales ranging from 980 to 3,990 square feet and from 40 to 123 years old, with a $612K median. A mix of 20 single-family homes, 3 townhomes and 5 condos, selling in about 30 days.

14. Village at Motts Landing

A $665K median with HOA of $2,890 to $7,420 a year, mostly single-family homes plus a few townhomes. The median sale took 41 days.

15. Sunset Park

The most affordable community in the top 20 at a $326K median. Homes are 920 to 1,720 square feet, 20 to 86 years old, and the median sale took only about 13 days, among the fastest.

16. Anchors Bend

An even split of 13 single-family homes and 13 townhomes at a $625K median, with HOA of $1,200 to $1,800. Median days on market: 40.

17. Northchase

A budget-friendly pick at a $367K median with the lowest taxes shown ($1,360) and HOA of only $560 to $570. Homes are 28 to 38 years old and sold in about 23 days.

18. Waterstone

All single-family, with a $1.03M median and $331 per square foot. It was also the slowest of the 20, with a median of about 100 days on market.

19. Fawn Valley

Mostly new construction (90% built 2025 or 2026) at a $583K median with a $1,200 HOA. The median home sold in 38 days.

20. Timbers at Whiskey Branch

A new-construction neighborhood of 13 single-family homes and 11 townhomes at a $696K median. It had the fastest median days on market of the 20 (1 day), with a median HOA of about $2,470.

What Buyers Should Take Away

  • Best value per square foot: Sidbury Station ($185), Echo Farms ($195) and Northchase ($216) are the lowest in the group. Wilmington Beach ($401) and Landfall ($398) are the highest.
  • Lowest entry price: Sunset Park has the lowest median at $326K, followed by Downtown ($350K) and Northchase ($367K).
  • Fastest-moving: Timbers at Whiskey Branch (1 day), Sunset Park (about 13 days) and Sidbury Station (21 days) had the quickest median sales. Waterstone (about 100 days) and River Bluffs (88 days) were the slowest, which can mean more room to negotiate.
  • Carrying costs vary widely: Annual taxes range from about $1,360 in Northchase to $6,770 in Landfall, and HOA fees range from none reported to more than $7,000 a year.
  • Watch the new construction: Several of the busiest communities are mostly 2023 to 2026 builds, so their sales reflect builder pricing and incentives more than resale trends.

About the Numbers

Data covers closed single-family, townhome and condo sales in New Hanover County from October 14, 2025 to October 13, 2026, drawn from Hive MLS. Sales labeled "Not In Subdivision" or "Other" are excluded, and a community must have at least 10 closed sales to qualify. Price, price per square foot, HOA and tax ranges show the 10th to 90th percentile to trim outliers. Price per square foot uses heated square footage. Days on market is the median cumulative days on market. Tax figures are the median reported annual taxes, shown only when at least 10 usable records covering at least 20% of sales were available. HOA ranges are annual association fees, and a sale count is shown when fewer than half of sales listed a fee. Figures are for informational purposes only and are not a guarantee of future results; individual homes vary. Contact us for a current analysis of any community.