Attic Insulation in Wilson County, NC

Wilson County and Its Homes

Wilson County grew 2 percent from 2020 to 2025, to 81,150 people by the Census Bureau's estimate, in about 37,100 housing units.

Its seven incorporated towns each have a page here: Wilson, Elm City, Lucama, Stantonsburg, Black Creek, Saratoga and Sims. About 70 percent of Wilson County's housing units are inside town limits, the rest in unincorporated areas.

A pale stone Art Deco municipal building with flags at the entrance in Wilson — The Wilson Municipal Building (City Hall), North Carolina; Wilson is the largest town in Wilson County. Photo: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and resized

Wilson County at a Glance

Population: 81,150 (2025), 79,816 (2020)
Housing units: about 37,100
Median year built: 1986 (North Carolina: 1991)
Built before 1980: 42% (statewide: 34%)
Detached houses: 63%
Mobile homes: 14%
Owner-occupied: 60%
Heated with electricity: 63% (statewide: 65%)
Climate zone: 3 on both maps
Towns with pages here: 7

Census Bureau estimates for Wilson County (housing: 2020 to 2024).

Towns in Wilson County

Wilson
49,572 people · median home 1983 · its own electric system
Elm City
1,250 people · median home 1977 · Duke Energy Progress
Lucama
1,052 people · median home 1975 · its own electric system
Stantonsburg
778 people · its own electric system
Black Creek
708 people · its own electric system
Saratoga
363 people · Duke Energy Progress
Sims
346 people · Duke Energy Progress
Sharpsburg
Nash County town · about 440 residents in Wilson County
Kenly
Johnston County town · about 200 residents in Wilson County

What We Do in Wilson County

Attic Insulation in Wilson County
Some 42 percent of Wilson County housing units predate 1980; joists showing above their insulation mean more blown-in fiberglass is due, R-49 from bare.
Attic Insulation Removal in Wilson County
Wet, moldy or animal-soiled insulation comes out of Wilson County attics, and a mouse-soiled Wilson County attic is sanitized and deodorized; in the 19 percent of homes built before 1960, vermiculite is ruled out first.
Air Sealing in Wilson County
Some 63 percent of Wilson County homes heat with electricity, often through attic ducts; their joints and the ceiling's gaps are sealed first.

Homes in Wilson County

Half of Wilson County's 37,100 housing units were built before 1986: 28 percent before 1970, 42 percent before 1980 (nearly all before the state's 1978 insulation rule) and 11 percent in 2010 or later. The largest share went up in the 1990s, under codes that asked for less than ENERGY STAR now suggests; ENERGY STAR notes insulation is often thinnest at the eaves. Among Wilson County towns, the median home is oldest in Lucama (1975) and newest in Wilson (1983).

Wilson County by type: 63 percent detached houses, 20 percent in buildings of two or more homes and 14 percent mobile homes. In Wilson County, 63 percent of homes heat with electricity, 27 percent with piped gas and 8 percent with tank gas.

Wilson County Homes by Year Built

Before 1940: about 2,510 units, 7% (±1)
1940s: about 1,220 units, 3% (±1)
1950s: about 3,450 units, 9% (±1)
1960s: about 3,370 units, 9% (±1)
1970s: about 5,140 units, 14% (±2)
1980s: about 5,130 units, 14% (±2)
1990s: about 6,410 units, 17% (±2)
2000s: about 5,910 units, 16% (±2)
2010s: about 3,390 units, 9% (±1)
2020 or later: about 530 units, 1% (±1)

Climate Across Wilson County

NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for Wilson County towns, by station: Wilson 3 SW station (Wilson, Lucama, Stantonsburg, Black Creek and 2 more): about 3,060 heating and 1,840 cooling degree days; Rocky Mount-Wilson Airport station (Elm City): about 3,270 heating and 1,680 cooling degree days.

Power and Gas in Wilson County

The card lists Wilson County's town utilities by the territory maps; a power bill confirms the one at an address.

Piedmont Natural Gas holds the Wilson County gas franchise (NC Utilities Commission map), and 27 percent of Wilson County homes heat with piped gas.

Who Supplies Power in Wilson County

Duke Energy Progress: Elm City, Saratoga and Sims; homes near Wilson, Lucama, Stantonsburg and Black Creek
Wilson's own electric system: Wilson
Lucama's own electric system: Lucama
Stantonsburg's own electric system: Stantonsburg
Black Creek's own electric system: Black Creek

Energy Programs for Wilson County Homes

Check each program's current terms for a Wilson County home; some pay only through the utility's contractor network. Insulation Pros is an approved Duke Energy trade ally for Duke's rebate.

Programs for Wilson County

Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Duke Energy rebate; Elm City, Saratoga, Sims, near Wilson and more).
Home Energy House Call (Duke Energy home assessment; Elm City, Saratoga, Sims, near Wilson and more).
Free Energy Audit (Wilson Energy; Wilson): a free home energy audit for Wilson Energy customers.
ElectriCities energy audits (ElectriCities member towns; Lucama and Stantonsburg).
Income-qualified Weatherization (Duke Energy income-qualified; Elm City, Saratoga, Sims, near Wilson and more).
Energy Saver North Carolina (statewide income-qualified; any Wilson County address).
Weatherization Assistance Program (statewide income-qualified; any Wilson County address).
Piedmont Natural Gas lists rebates for high-efficiency gas furnaces, and none for insulation or air sealing (program page).

Get Your Free Estimate

or call (336) 870-3893

Wilson County Insulation FAQs

Do you serve all of Wilson County?

Yes: Wilson, Elm City, Lucama, Stantonsburg, Black Creek, Saratoga and Sims, the parts of Sharpsburg and Kenly inside Wilson County, and every unincorporated Wilson County address.

Which utilities offer insulation rebates in Wilson County?

Duke Energy's Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Elm City, Saratoga, Sims, homes near Wilson and more).

Does attic insulation in Wilson County need a permit?

Ask Wilson County Inspections Division before work starts. For an address in Wilson, Elm City, Lucama or another Wilson County town, the town or city hall can tell you whether Wilson County's office handles its permits.