Signals
Cornelius
Monroe
Opportunity
76 · Top 12%
vs66 · Top 29%
Climate
72 · Top 39%
vs76 · Top 26%
Physical resilience
51 · Bottom 44%
vs37 · Bottom 30%
Housing affordability
78 · Bottom 46%
vs80 · Bottom 49%
Schools
74 · Top 21%
vs27 · Bottom 20%
Access
93 · Top 47%
vs86 · Bottom 32%
Economic stability
69 · Top 31%
vs55 · Bottom 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Cornelius | Monroe | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,783 | 36,759 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $113,767 | $72,540 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $77,539 | $31,089 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,583/sq mi | 1,142/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $559,400 | $309,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,722 | $1,246 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.5% | 61.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 62.2% | 24.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.4% | 13.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 90°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 32°F | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.6" | 37.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 18 mi | 26 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.5 min | 31.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.0 | 35.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.93 | 15.27 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 61.8% | 31.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 64.3% | 32.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 22.4% | 71.9% | 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.
Monroe
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Cornelius, NC · Monroe, NC · How this is calculated: methodology