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I have lived in Wilmington and have traveled fairly extensively to Charleston. To pick one over the other really depends on what you're looking for. Charleston has a larger historic district and more to do with shopping, dining, and the arts in the downtown area. Overall, I think Wilmington has more to offer with its tight integration (and short distances) between downtown, the suburbs, and the beaches. They both have plenty of water with the ocean and rivers nearby. I would definitely recommend taking boat, trolley, or carriage tours in either. They are great ways to learn about the history and architecture of the area. Both have good and attractive colleges in UNCWilmington and the College of Charleston. The College of Charleston is nicely integrated with the downtown area.
Lastly, I don't know when you're thinking about going, but I would go sooner rather than later. August in both of these cities is hot and humid.
Let me know when you decide where you're going, and I can give you more specific recommendations.
I live in Wilmington, and I grew up near Charleston. On the surface, they look similar, and have a lot of the same things - historic downtown, beaches, golf courses, old forts, plantations, universities.
But I'd take Charleston any day of the week. It is about twice Wilmington's size, and the historic downtown is probably 3x or 4x larger than Wilmington's. Yet, it is less congested, has better and more accessible beaches (that is important), more marsh to fish in or drive a boat, more and better restaurants & bars, better golf courses, better festivals (Spoleto vs. Azalea), and just generally more stuff to do. The local Charleston people are very polite and southern. The people of Wilmington.. well, they (we) just aren't. It draws a very odd group of people.
Wilmington is cool, don't get me wrong. It is worth visiting. It is a big surfing town, and the downtown has some cool houses, bars/restaurants, and some trinket shops. Wrightsville Beach is beautiful, and almost looks tropical. There is lots of filmmaking going on here, too. As far as history goes, Charleston was a major American city for a long time, whereas Wilmington was sort of a backwater.
I'd visit both, they are only 3 hours away, with Myrtle Beach in between. If I had to pick one, it'd be Charleston. And to the guy who brought up Richmond, VA.. ha, ha, that's pretty funny.
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