How does the Wilmington area rank when it comes to livability? Here's what AARP says.

The Cape Fear region has seen major growth and development over the years and as the population is increasing, some may have differing views when it comes to the area's livability.

The AARP scored places in the United States in 2023 on their livability. Each overall score was broken down into seven different categories, which include housing, neighborhood, transportation, environment, health, engagement and opportunity.

Here's a look at how we ranked:

New Hanover County

Overall score: 52 out of 100, which is slightly above the national average of 47 for a county.

Best ranking: Engagement, which scored a 69 based upon civic and social engagement.

The county falls in the top third of communities in the United States for broadband cost and speed, opportunity for civic involvement, voting rate, and cultural, arts and entertainment institutions. The county also falls in the middle third of communities for social involvement.

Worst ranking: Opportunity, which scored a 38 and includes inclusion and possibilities.

The county falls in the bottom third for income inequality, high school graduation rate and age diversity. The county's jobs per worker value falls in the middle third tertile, which has gone down from the last measurement in 2015.

City of Wilmington

Overall score: 54 out of 100, which is six points higher than the average livability score for cities in the United States.

Best ranking: Engagement, with a rating of 72.

Wilmington has higher percentages than the average city in the United States for broadband cost and speed, opportunity for civic engagement, voting rate, social involvement index, and cultural, arts and entertainment institutions.

Worst ranking: Opportunity, with a rating of 35 and includes inclusion and possibilities.

The city's income inequality is one of the factors that plays a role in the lower score for inclusion and possibilities. Wilmington's income inequality score is 0.5 higher than the national average for a city. Wilmington's age diversity as well as high school graduation rates are lower than the U.S. average for cities.

Brunswick County

Overall score: 47 out of 100

Best ranking: Engagement, with a score of 65.

Brunswick County scored in the middle third of counties in the United States for broadband cost and speed as well as opportunity for civic involvement. The county's voting rate, social involvement index, and cultural, arts and entertainment institutions are all in the top third for counties.

Worst ranking: Neighborhood, with a ranking of 34.

When it comes to the neighborhood category, indicators include proximity and security. Brunswick County's access to parks, libraries, grocery stores and farmers markets as well as vacancy rate are all in the lower third for counties. The county's crime rate and activity density have gone up since 2015, but the diversity of destinations has gone down. Diversity of destinations is the combined number of jobs and people per square mile.

Pender County

Overall score: 43 out of 100

Best ranking: Opportunity, with a score of 55.

Pender County's job inequality and jobs per worker are in the middle third for counties. The county's high school graduation rate and age diversity, however, are in the top third.

Worst ranking: Neighborhood, with a rating of 30.

The county's access to grocery stores and farmers markets, access to parks and access to libraries, all scored in the lower third of communities. Access to jobs by transit, access to jobs by auto, diversity of destinations, activity density, crime rate and vacancy rate are all in the middle third for counties.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: How does the Wilmington area rank when it comes to livability? Here's what AARP says.