The cost of living in Wilmington edged up slightly in the third quarter of 2014, according to a national survey. Highlights of the survey pertaining to Wilmington were released Monday by the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce.
 
On a scale for which 100 is the national average, Wilmington’s composite cost of living score was 100.5, slightly more than the national average and higher than several other metropolitan areas in North Carolina. The score was also several points higher than for the same period in 2013, when Wilmington’s composite cost of living score was 97.7.
 
Of the four other North Carolina metro areas highlighted by the chamber report, only Asheville had a higher cost of living composite score, at 103.0. Other major metros and their scores were Raleigh, 92.3 and Charlotte, 95.3.
 
Each metro area’s overall score is based on six individual indices. Wilmington scored below the national average on only one index: housing, on which the city scored 88.7. The others were grocery (107.5); utilities (100.4); transportation (103.9); health care (111); and miscellaneous goods and services (104.2). Charleston, South Carolina had a composite score of 101.2. Norfolk, Virginia came in under the national average, at 99.1.
 
The ACCRA index, a service of the Council for Community and Economic Research, is based on local data submitted by metro areas across the U.S. Wilmington’s data is collected by the chamber and submitted to ACCRA for analysis.
 
The data, gathered from 264 urban areas that participated in the quarterly study, showed that New York City’s Manhattan borough was the most expensive city in the U.S., with an index of 214.5. McAllen, Texas, was the least expensive metropolitan area, with an index of 81.5.