Charlotte, North Carolina
Cost of living, housing, income, commute, climate, and safety — compiled for relocators researching Charlotte.
Key figures
Each metric shows how Charlotte compares with the U.S. baseline (ACS/BLS nationals where available; catalog-city averages for crime, climate, and commute). Income, housing, population, and crime are for the incorporated city (city limits), not the broader metro/MSA — unemployment is county-level (BLS LAUS).
- Population
- 886,283City limits · not metro/MSA
- Median household income
- $78,438Incorporated place (ACS)Near U.S. avg ($78,538)U.S. $78,538
- Housing cost index
- 114ACS home+rent vs U.S. (100 = avg)14% above U.S. avgU.S. 100
- Median home value
- $351,500City limits (ACS)16% above U.S. avgU.S. $303,400
- Median rent
- $1,504City limits (ACS)12% above U.S. avgU.S. $1,348
- Unemployment
- 3.6%County LAUS · not city-onlyNear U.S. avg (4.2 pts)U.S. 4.2 pts
- Avg commute
- 26 minNear U.S. avg (25 min)U.S. 25 min
- Walk Score
- 2642% below U.S. avgU.S. 45
- Violent crime rate
- 739.4annualized per 100k · citywide23% above U.S. avgU.S. 602.7
- Property crime rate
- 3925.8annualized per 100k · citywide27% above U.S. avgU.S. 3084.9
- Summer high
- 89°F2.0°F above U.S. avgU.S. 87°F
- Winter low
- 34°FNear U.S. avg (34°F)U.S. 34°F
- Annual rainfall
- 43.6 in33% above U.S. avgU.S. 32.9 in
- Sunny days
- 253Near U.S. avg (266)U.S. 266
Compare Charlotte with another city
Relocators eyeing Charlotte, North Carolina will find roughly 886,283 residents within city limits. Households here report a median income near $78,438; our housing-derived cost index is about 114 (close to the national housing-cost baseline). Budget for median rents around $1,504 a month before you lock a neighborhood.
Piedmont research corridors and coastal storm exposure both matter. Pack for 89°F summer peaks; winter mornings often settle near 34°F. Commutes average near 26 minutes one-way, with walkability near 26/100. BLS LAUS puts recent unemployment around 3.6% for the surrounding county. Violent-offense rates near 739.4 per 100k sit in a mid-to-elevated band versus many peer cities in this catalog.
Charlotte sits in that mid-to-large city band where urban and quieter residential pockets often share one municipal boundary. Figures on this page are merged from Census ACS, BLS LAUS, FBI Crime Data Explorer, and NOAA Climate Normals — use them to compare Charlotte with nearby alternatives before you relocate.
Nearby & similar cities
Continue researching with these internal links — each page is a full data profile.
Sources
- Census / ACS: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year (Charlotte city, 1600000US3712000)
- BLS: BLS LAUS LAUCN371190000000003 (Mecklenburg County, May 2026)
- Crime: FBI CIUS Table 8 (2019) city offenses known to law enforcement — rates per 100k; CDE API unavailable at enrich time
- Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 Monthly Normals (USW00013881 CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS AP)
Last updated 2026-07-28
Canonical profile · All North Carolina cities · Full city index