Mecklenburg County · North Carolina · South · 904k residents
Charlotte, NC: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Charlotte: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the North Carolina median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
The median home value in Charlotte is $400,000, 29% above the North Carolina median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,800/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 99 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $74,000 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findingsLimited coverage: This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A fast-growing Carolinas hub balancing banking, racing, breweries, and greenways.
Known for: Banking, NASCAR, professional sports, breweries, and a connected park system.
Calendar note: The Coca-Cola 600 weekend and Charlotte SHOUT! anchor the event calendar.
Story source: Charlotte’s Got a Lot
- Scale: A large city with a quarter-million or more residents in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Charlotte about 20 miles from the nearest tracked lake.
- Climate signal: The profile records 218 sunny days and 4 inches of annual snow.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 27 and an average commute of 26 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Charlotte side by side
Cost of living index
99
Median home value
$400,000
2-bedroom rent
$1,800/mo
Median household income
$74,000
Housing momentum
How fast Charlotte's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
24/100
Cooling
Ranks Charlotte's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Charlotte's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| Median home value | $400,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $230 |
| Property tax rate | 0.85% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,500/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,800/mo |
| State & local income tax | 3.15% |
| Sales tax | 7.25% |
| Cost of living index | 99 |
| Groceries index | 98 |
| Utilities | $160/mo |
| Transit pass | $88/mo |
| Gas price | $3.10/gal |
| Healthcare index | 102 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,250/mo |
| Median household income | $74,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% |
| Population | 904k |
| Crime index | 49/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 |
| Walkability | 27/100 |
| Disaster risk | 97/100 |
| Avg. commute | 26 min |
| Sunny days / year | 218 days |
| July high | 90°F |
| January low | 32°F |
| Annual snowfall | 4 in |
| Home price YoY | -1.2% |
| Home price MoM | -0.3% |
| Rent YoY | 0.0% |
| Rent MoM | +0.1% |
| Ocean coast | 154 mi |
| Big lake | 20 mi |
| Mountains | 81 mi |
| Major airport | 6 mi |
| Ski resort | 85 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Mint Hill, NC · 28k
- Belmont, NC · 16k
- Mount Holly, NC · 18k
- Harrisburg, NC · 20k
- Huntersville, NC · 64k
Similar size
- Raleigh, NC · 481k
- Greensboro, NC · 301k
- Durham, NC · 291k
- Winston-Salem, NC · 252k
- Fayetteville, NC · 211k
Real listings in Charlotte
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Charlotte, NC?
- Charlotte indexes at 99 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,800/mo and a median home value of $400,000.
- How much does a house cost in Charlotte?
- The median home value in Charlotte is $400,000, 29% above the North Carolina median (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Charlotte?
- A two-bedroom in Charlotte rents for about $1,800/mo.