Wilson is a small town expanding with big industry
Industry, art and athletics combine in Wilson, a growing town of nearly 50,000. “I like the fact that we are a small town that’s convenient to a lot of other communities,” says Debbie Reason, a lifelong resident of Wilson and Realtor at Our Town Properties. “But we don’t have to live in the hustle and bustle and all the traffic.” Wilson is about 50 miles east of Raleigh, but residents may not have to commute that far because Wilson is the largest manufacturing base in Eastern NC. “You can have a great job and still a fairly low cost of living as opposed to living in one of the larger metro areas,” says Allyson Moye, a Realtor with Womble Real Estate Company who has been selling in the area for nearly 20 years.
Wilson is North Carolina’s first gigabit city, meaning they can access high-speed fiber optic gigabit internet with free wi-fi downtown. “There’s reliable service and excellent tech support should you need it,” Moye says. “If you’re having issues, you call, and it’s ‘Greenlight, this is Nick.’ Nick is sitting downtown; you may run into Nick after work at a bar somewhere.” Wilson’s downtown area is also expanding with new shops, eateries, and a baseball stadium.
Wilson residents enjoy a vast array of sweet treats at The Sugar Plum Shoppe.
Local artists share their works at Wilson's Barnes Corner Gallery.
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Historic homes and smaller tract builds
"Wilson has a large inventory of bungalows and then some really beautiful old historic Victorian and Queen Anne Craftsman-style homes as well,” Moye says. Homes in Wilson stay on the market for an average of 44 days. The median single-family price is $275,000. “If you spend $500,000 for a house in Raleigh, you might get 1,300 or 1,400 square feet. If you buy in Wilson for $500,000, you’ll get 3,000 square feet and more land.”
With the growing population, there has been more new construction. “There’s a demand for smaller tract houses,” Moye says. “There’s a couple of new developments that have some townhouses in the front and some larger houses in the back.” Townhouses range from $145,000 to around $325,000.
Wilson is seeing an influx of new home construction.
Ranch homes are a common sight in Wilson.
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Shining sculptures at Whirligig Park
Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park is the luminary of downtown. Simpson’s creative metal “whirligig” sculptures hover over the park and even light up at night. “Everything that’s happening downtown is centralized around Whirligig Park,” Reason says. It’s home to the annual Whirligig Festival, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary and the Gig in the Park spring and fall concert series. There are also galleries and museums to explore downtown. “Wilson Arts Council and the Boykin Cultural Center downtown have concerts and theater productions going on all the time,” Moye says.
Gillette Park has eight soccer fields, an accessible playground and the J. Burt Gillette Athletic Complex. “We host a lot of little league and soccer regional and state tournaments,” Moye says. "If there’s a tournament going on, you know it because of the traffic going in and out.” Residents can kayak, fish or jog along the walking trails at Lake Wilson Park. “They spent a lot of money on that in the last couple of years, adding a bridge across the lake, restroom facilities and picnic areas.” For indoor fitness, a YMCA recently opened downtown.
When the Zebulon Mudcat minor league baseball team was looking for a new home, Wilson volunteered. The Wilson Warbird will begin their season in April 2026 when Wilson Stadium opens.
Creative metal “whirligig” sculptures hover over the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park and even light up at night.
J. Burt Gillette Athletic Complex features playgrounds, athletic fields, walking trails and more.
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Wilson County Schools and Barton College
There are 14 elementary schools, seven middle schools and five high schools in the Wilson County Schools district. "Instead of going to a traditional high school, you can go to the Early College Academy, and when you graduate, you’ll have your high school diploma and a two-year associate degree,” Moye says. There are also some charter and private school options. Barton College is a private four-year college in the area, while Wilson Community College offers associate degrees.
Barton College is a private four-year college in the Wilson area.
Wilson Community College offers associate degrees to area residents.
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The Downtown Social District and shopping centers
“The downtown area is coming back into its own with lots of locally owned shops and boutiques,” Moye says. There are new breweries and restaurants popping up, including those specializing in Wilson Cuisine, which specializes in Eastern North Carolina-style pork barbeque. Those who are 21-plus can enjoy the Downtown Social District. “As long as you’ve got it in a properly marked cup with the social district sticker on it, you can just walk down the street and look at the sights,” Moye says. A little further out, there are a few shopping centers with well-known retailers and chain restaurants.
Wilson residents can enjoy lunch or dinner at Bill's Grill.
Those who are 21-plus can enjoy Wilson's Downtown Social District.
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Centrally located from the Research Triangle
Wilson is just off of Interstate 95. “We're just off of a major highway that goes all the way up to New York and all the way down to Miami,” Reason says. RIDE is an app-based community ride-share program that picks up residents for a small fee. The town also has an Amtrack station, and the drive to Rocky Mount-Wilson Airport will take about 12 miles or 20 minutes. Wilson Medical Center is 2 miles from downtown.
Crime rates above the national average
Wilson’s violent crime rate varied in 2023 but was typically just above the national and state averages. Its property crime rate was consistently well above the national and state averages. Wilson experiences all four seasons and has no major environmental concerns.
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