Signals
Cornelius
Charlotte
Opportunity
76 · Top 12%
vs69 · Top 25%
Climate
72 · Top 39%
vs72 · Top 39%
Physical resilience
51 · Bottom 44%
vs51 · Bottom 44%
Housing affordability
78 · Bottom 46%
vs68 · Bottom 31%
Schools
74 · Top 21%
vs41 · Bottom 37%
Access
93 · Top 47%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
69 · Top 31%
vs64 · Top 42%
Measured values
| Metric | Cornelius | Charlotte | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,783 | 903,844 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $113,767 | $82,068 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $77,539 | $51,814 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,583/sq mi | 2,901/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $559,400 | $385,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,722 | $1,612 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.5% | 51.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 62.2% | 48.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.4% | 11.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 90°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 32°F | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.6" | 43.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 18 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.5 min | 26.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.0 | 34.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 176 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.93 | 16.85 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 61.8% | 36.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 64.3% | 42.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 22.4% | 74.2% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Cornelius
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Charlotte
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Cornelius, NC · Charlotte, NC · How this is calculated: methodology