Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Mecklenburg County, 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 averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in North Carolina
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B
Income Around averageAmong the top 5 wealthiest counties in North Carolina
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A
Education Above averageAmong the top 5 best educated counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,154,528 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2115.9 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.67% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.8 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 466,470 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Mecklenburg County grew by 34.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 1,154,528 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Mecklenburg County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 25.6% of residents. That is 4.2 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 261,950 22.7% +0.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 295,589 25.6% +4.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 235,790 20.4% -0.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 136,845 11.9% -5.2 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 Mecklenburg County and men 48.3%.
- Women 51.7% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 48.3% North Carolina 48.9%
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Economy
Mecklenburg County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $87,854 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.03% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Mecklenburg County is about 21% higher than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $336,691 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,627 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 55.1% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Mecklenburg County is about 17.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,627 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Mecklenburg County spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 191 hours, about 8.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.0 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.9 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 191 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,935 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 28.5% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 18,769 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,572 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
North Carolina:
Macon County (17.2 min), Watauga County (17.2 min), Dare County (17.4 min).
Slowest:
Gates County (35.9 min), Currituck County (33.9 min), Tyrrell County (33.6 min).
The average commute time in Mecklenburg County 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
Mecklenburg County has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.2% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.44 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.5), Wake County (0.4), Durham County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hyde County (0.2), Greene County (0.2), Tyrrell County (0.2).
Health
Mecklenburg County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.5 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.2% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.7% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.8), Wake County (0.8), Watauga County (0.8).
Lowest:
Robeson County (0.8), Lenoir County (0.8), Halifax County (0.8).
Mecklenburg County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Mecklenburg County, NC is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 1,154,528 residents against a local median of 236,149. Where Mecklenburg County, NC breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 61% above the local median of $208,491 at $336,691.
The counties themselves spread $254,195 on median home price, so Mecklenburg County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mecklenburg County, NC has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County, NC | 1,154,528 | $87,854 #4/6 | $336,691 #2/6 | 23.0 min #1/6 |
| Cabarrus County, NC | 236,149 | $88,863 | $227,299 | 25.8 min |
| Gaston County, NC | 234,809 | $67,093 | $208,491 | 23.8 min |
| Union County, NC | 250,888 | $104,427 | $419,934 | 28.0 min |
| York County, SC | 293,716 | $90,058 | $168,547 | 23.4 min |
| Lincoln County, NC | 92,729 | $78,296 | $165,739 | 27.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
How big is Mecklenburg County, North Carolina by population?
About 1,154,528 people live in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, in 466,470 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 35.8, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Mecklenburg County, North Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina has 2,116 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 24 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Mecklenburg County, North Carolina an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.8 times the median household income ($336,691 against $87,854), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,627 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina?
44.2% of adults in Mecklenburg County, 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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