Signals
Salisbury
Charlotte
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 30%
vs69 · Top 25%
Climate
77 · Top 24%
vs72 · Top 39%
Physical resilience
63 · Top 45%
vs51 · Bottom 44%
Housing affordability
69 · Bottom 33%
vs68 · Bottom 31%
Schools
7 · Bottom 1%
vs41 · Bottom 37%
Access
77 · Bottom 19%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
29 · Bottom 6%
vs64 · Top 42%
Measured values
| Metric | Salisbury | Charlotte | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 35,825 | 903,844 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $53,716 | $82,068 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,043 | $51,814 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,551/sq mi | 2,901/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $242,500 | $385,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,071 | $1,612 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 51.8% | 51.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.9% | 48.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 26.3% | 11.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 88°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 29°F | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.7" | 43.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 41 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.5 min | 26.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.5 | 34.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 176 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.99 | 16.85 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 16.9% | 36.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 27.5% | 42.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 98.1% | 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
Salisbury
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Charlotte
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Salisbury, NC · Charlotte, NC · How this is calculated: methodology