Wilmington, NC
Metropolitan Statistical Area
MSA code 48900 is the Wilmington, NC, a Metropolitan Statistical Area defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). It encompasses 3 counties. This code is used by the BLS, Census Bureau, HUD, and BEA to publish labor market, demographic, and economic data at the metropolitan area level — distinct from the individual county FIPS codes used for county-level data.
MSA Code
48900
Type
Metro SA
Component Counties (3)
OMB designates each county in a Core Based Statistical Area as either central — containing the urban core that anchors the metro — or outlying, meaning it qualifies based on commuting ties to the central counties. Both types are included in MSA-level data published by federal agencies. Click any county to see its individual 5-digit FIPS code and data profile.
| County | FIPS Code |
|---|---|
| New Hanover County | 37129 |
| Brunswick County | 37019 |
| Pender County | 37141 |
Federal Datasets Using MSA Code 48900
Several major federal datasets publish directly at the MSA level using this 5-digit code rather than individual county FIPS codes. Note that MSA codes and county FIPS codes are separate namespaces — never join an MSA code against a county FIPS column. To work with county-level data within this metro, use the individual county FIPS codes listed above.