Charlotte, North Carolina
Among the top 4% of US places for getting around.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 16% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade D, better than 22% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 26% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A+, better than 96% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 32% of US places
- top 2% for walkability
- top 2% for airport distance
- bottom 1% for monthly owner costs
Charlotte is a major city in North Carolina with about 875,000 residents. It grades A+ for getting around and D for affordability. Standout strengths include walkability, airport distance, and natural disaster risk. It rates lower on property crime and monthly owner costs.
- The median home value in Charlotte is $313k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in Charlotte is $74k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in Charlotte is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Charlotte has a violent crime rate of 1942/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in Charlotte is 25 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
Climate
Hot, humid summers · Cool winters · Moderate rain · Light snow
cold
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warm
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60%47%clearovercast
Precipitation 3.9 in3.5 in
muggy 100%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$74k66th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$64kbetter than 8% of US places
Home Value$313k79th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 19% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$185kbetter than 0% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.82%better than 62% of US places
Income Tax4.50%better than 61% of US places
Sales Tax7.00%better than 60% of US places
Estimated total tax burden10.28%better than 43% of US places
Unemployment4.7%better than 42% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)42°F76th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)80°F75th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation43.8 in57th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall3.5 inbetter than 71% of US places
Sunny Days187 daysbetter than 15% of US places
Summer Humidity68°Fbetter than 26% of US places
Comfortable Days82 daysbetter than 50% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk29.2better than 90% of US places
Air Quality46 AQIbetter than 48% of US places
School Quality55.0better than 45% of US places
Violent Crime1942/100kbetter than 9% of US places
Property Crime3152/100kbetter than 6% of US places
Community
Population875,045100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age34.520th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.6898th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9440th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+367th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)39.7%13th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)34.7%94th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)15.3%81st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)6.5%93rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)3.8%60th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time25 minbetter than 55% of US places
Walkability14.6/20better than 98% of US places
Airport Distance7 mibetter than 98% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access91.9%better than 71% of US places
Amenities Nearby10.24better than 15% of US places
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 39% of US places
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Charlotte an affordable place to live?
- Charlotte is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $64k, better than 8% of comparable areas. Median rent is $1k.
- Is Charlotte safe?
- Charlotte is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1942/100k (better than 9%). Property crime is 3152/100k.
- What is the weather like in Charlotte?
- Charlotte averages 80°F in July and 42°F in January, with 43.8 in of annual precipitation and about 187 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Charlotte?
- Public-school quality in Charlotte is about average, scoring better than 45% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Charlotte?
- The average one-way commute in Charlotte is 25 min.