Charlotte, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Charlotte, NC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around average
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A
Education Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Charlotte | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 877,380 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2797.9 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.56% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.2 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 358,496 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Charlotte grew by 34.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 877,380 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Charlotte is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 26.1% of residents. That is 4.7 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 207,387 23.6% +1.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 228,724 26.1% +4.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 173,448 19.8% -0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 99,169 11.3% -5.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below North Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.7% of the people living in Charlotte and men 48.3%.
- Women 51.7% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 48.3% North Carolina 48.9%
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Economy
Charlotte has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Charlotte | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $82,573 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.01% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Charlotte is about 14% higher than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Charlotte | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $336,465 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,610 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 50.7% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Charlotte is about 17.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,610 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Charlotte spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 188 hours, about 7.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Charlotte | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.5 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.1 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 188 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,822 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 28.7% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 22,567 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,209 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Charlotte is 23 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in North Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Charlotte has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Charlotte | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.3% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.41 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Charlotte has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Charlotte | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.1 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.9% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.2% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Charlotte, NC Compared With Nearby Cities
Charlotte, NC is the largest of the 4 cities compared here, 877,380 residents against a local median of 32,912. Where Charlotte, NC breaks from the cities next to it is median household income, sitting 24% below the local median of $108,216 at $82,573. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The cities themselves spread $20,465 on median household income, so Charlotte, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Charlotte, NC has the 4th highest median household income of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | 877,380 | $82,573 #4/4 | $336,465 #3/4 | 22.5 min #1/4 |
| Matthews, NC | 32,912 | $108,216 | $385,162 | 23.7 min |
| Mint Hill, NC | 25,060 | $97,851 | $352,520 | 30.4 min |
| Huntersville, NC | 52,008 | $118,316 | $276,674 | 25.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Charlotte, North Carolina.
What is the population of Charlotte, North Carolina?
About 877,380 people live in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 358,496 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 33.2, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Charlotte, North Carolina mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Charlotte, North Carolina has 2,798 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 32 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Charlotte, North Carolina?
The median home costs 4.1 times the median household income ($336,465 against $82,573), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,610 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Charlotte, North Carolina?
43.3% of adults in Charlotte, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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