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COUNTY

Mecklenburg County

North Carolina · 1,233,383 residents (2025 est.) · 523.608 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#26Most work-from-homeof 3,14428.5%#37Largest by populationof 3,1441,233,383#59Most densely populatedof 3,1442,356#108Most educatedof 3,14449.2%
The short version

Mecklenburg County has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $87,005. The county has grown rapidly, with population up 66% since 2000. 49% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $406,800. It ranks in the top 5% of US counties for household income.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.5
US median: 38.9
More educated
49% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 61%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
1,154,681
+66%since 2000
from 695,454 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
2,205 / sq mi
+34%since 2009
from 1,645 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
35.5
+7%since 2000
from 33.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:1,233,383 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
447K640K833K1.0M1.2M1990201020202024Mecklenburg County
20241.2M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.4%(73,893)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.3%(72,501)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.3%(72,627)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.4%(74,150)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.6%(76,536)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3417.2%(198,726)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.8%(170,777)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413%(150,128)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411%(127,438)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 747.4%(84,888)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.4%(38,690)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.2%(14,327)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$87,005
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $50,579 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$53,295
+95%since 2000
from $27,352 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
56.5%
+20.8 ptssince 2009
from 35.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
10.4%
+1.2 ptssince 2000
from 9.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.492
+3%since 2010
from 0.477 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Other services14.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration11.8%
US avg: 4.8%
Information10.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade7.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade7.5%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance7%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical6.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food2.1%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$406,800
+61%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $139,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,627
+29%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $693 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
55.1%
−7.2 ptssince 2000
from 62.3% in 2000
44.9% rent
Vacancy rate
7.3%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 9.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
20.2%
−7.2 ptssince 2009
from 27.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
47.3%
+3.9 ptssince 2009
from 43.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.7
+44%since 2009
from 3.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
80
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Mecklenburg County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic61.1%(425,144)
Black27.7%(192,403)
Hispanic / Latino6.5%(44,871)
Asian3.1%(21,717)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic43.2%(498,847)
Black29.7%(343,410)
Hispanic / Latino16%(184,569)
Asian6.3%(72,816)
Other4.8%(55,039)
Diversity Score
87
+15%since 2009
from 75 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
47
−5%since 2020
from 50 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.4%(62,678)
Central American5.1%(59,392)
Honduran2.4%(28,208)
South American2.2%(25,700)
Salvadoran1.5%(16,840)
Puerto Rican1.1%(12,910)
Colombian0.8%(9,651)
Dominican0.8%(8,717)
Guatemalan0.7%(8,597)
Cuban0.6%(6,536)
Ecuadorian0.5%(6,158)
Venezuelan0.4%(5,043)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Nicaraguan0.2%(2,630)
Peruvian0.2%(2,546)
Panamanian0.2%(2,256)
Spaniard0.1%(1,535)
Argentine0.1%(946)
Costa Rican0.1%(747)
Chilean0.1%(654)
Uruguayan0%(431)
Bolivian0%(211)
Asian origin
Asian Indian2.5%(29,157)
Vietnamese0.9%(10,439)
Chinese0.8%(9,258)
Korean0.3%(3,807)
Filipino0.3%(3,224)
Burmese0.3%(2,923)
Nepalese0.2%(2,204)
Cambodian0.2%(1,899)
Pakistani0.1%(1,652)
Hmong0.1%(1,505)
Laotian0.1%(1,024)
Japanese0.1%(1,011)
+ 9 more asian origin groups with data
Kazakh0.1%(672)
Thai0.1%(602)
Taiwanese0%(436)
Indonesian0%(205)
Uzbek0%(197)
Sri Lankan0%(175)
Bhutanese0%(94)
Malaysian0%(57)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(511)
Chamorro0%(217)
Fijian0%(32)
Guamanian0%(28)
Ancestry
English9.3%(107,757)
German8.5%(97,680)
Irish7.6%(87,695)
American4.7%(54,351)
Italian4.1%(47,180)
Subsaharan African3.1%(35,413)
Scottish1.9%(21,421)
Polish1.7%(19,812)
Scotch-Irish1.6%(18,181)
French1.3%(15,125)
West Indian0.9%(10,549)
Arab0.7%(8,013)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.6%(7,368)
Swedish0.5%(5,872)
Dutch0.5%(5,731)
Greek0.5%(5,431)
Welsh0.4%(4,986)
British0.4%(4,947)
Norwegian0.4%(4,712)
Jamaican0.4%(4,603)
Ukrainian0.4%(4,440)
Nigerian0.4%(4,358)
Hungarian0.3%(3,628)
French Canadian0.3%(3,611)
Ethiopian0.3%(3,458)
Lebanese0.3%(3,411)
Brazilian0.2%(2,620)
Portuguese0.2%(2,570)
Czech0.2%(2,466)
Romanian0.2%(2,315)
Haitian0.2%(2,241)
Swiss0.2%(1,785)
Austrian0.2%(1,735)
Slovak0.1%(1,716)
Danish0.1%(1,558)
Lithuanian0.1%(1,494)
Iranian0.1%(1,394)
Canadian0.1%(1,393)
Somali0.1%(1,013)
Finnish0.1%(1,005)
Moroccan0.1%(984)
Turkish0.1%(890)
Ghanaian0.1%(851)
Egyptian0.1%(801)
Guyanese0.1%(731)
Kenyan0%(523)
Croatian0%(505)
Armenian0%(499)
Belgian0%(479)
Syrian0%(463)
Slovene0%(434)
Serbian0%(393)
Barbadian0%(357)
Bulgarian0%(334)
Iraqi0%(330)
Jordanian0%(320)
Australian0%(264)
Israeli0%(252)
Latvian0%(222)
Macedonian0%(213)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Mexican population · Largest Central American population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
49.2%
+12.1 ptssince 2000
from 37.1% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
90.8%
+4.5 ptssince 2000
from 86.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
17.9%
+7.4 ptssince 2000
from 10.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.1 min
+49%since 2000
from 16.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
58.6%
−18.6 ptssince 2009
from 77.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.1%
−4.1 ptssince 2009
from 12.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.7%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
28.5%
+23.8 ptssince 2009
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.8%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 6.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.3%
−5.2 ptssince 2011
from 9.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
72.0%
−0.7 ptssince 2011
from 72.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
8.6%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 9.7% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
48.8%
−18.2 ptssince 2009
from 67.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.3%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 49.0% in 2009
Female
51.7%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 51.0% in 2009
Foreign born
17.3%
+4.8 ptssince 2009
from 12.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.0%
−43.2 ptssince 2009
from 48.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
8.9%
+0.7 ptssince 2012
from 8.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
11.5%
−71.5 ptssince 2013
from 83.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.1%
+9.9 ptssince 2017
from 84.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
77.7%
−3.2 ptssince 2016
from 80.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
13.3%
+2.5 ptssince 2016
from 10.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married42.3%(188,699)
Married48.7%(217,378)
Widowed1.7%(7,603)
Divorced7.3%(32,746)
Women 15+
Never married38.4%(187,964)
Married43.7%(213,888)
Widowed6%(29,564)
Divorced11.8%(57,818)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

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Places similar to Mecklenburg County
Head to head

Compare Mecklenburg County to nearby counties

MECKLENBURG COUNTY VS
Cabarrus County
Income$89,005+2%
Home value$354,800−13%
Population249,725−80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MECKLENBURG COUNTY VS
Gaston County
Income$67,478−22%
Home value$266,000−35%
Population246,558−80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MECKLENBURG COUNTY VS
Union County
Income$102,900+18%
Home value$417,300+3%
Population267,674−78%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MECKLENBURG COUNTY VS
York County
Income$89,095+2%
Home value$361,300−11%
Population306,887−75%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina?

Mecklenburg County, North Carolina has about 1,154,681 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina?

The typical household in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina earns about $87,005 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Mecklenburg County, North Carolina expensive?

In Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $406,800, and the typical rent is about $1,627 a month.

How educated are people in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina?

About 49.2% of adults age 25 and over in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina?

About 10.4% of people in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Mecklenburg County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 643,248 residents, a change of about 126 percent over that period.

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305 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 59.26Census Tract 56.27Census Tract 59.27Census Tract 64.04Census Tract 56.04Census Tract 59.18Census Tract 55.31Census Tract 59.13Census Tract 56.21Census Tract 58.45Census Tract 59.24Census Tract 55.10Census Tract 61.10Census Tract 64.03Census Tract 55.36Census Tract 54.03Census Tract 17.02Census Tract 15.04Census Tract 57.14Census Tract 55.19
34 ZIP codes (top 30 by population)
ZIP 28269ZIP 28277ZIP 28078ZIP 28215ZIP 28227ZIP 28216ZIP 28205ZIP 28273ZIP 28262ZIP 28210ZIP 28105ZIP 28213ZIP 28214ZIP 28212ZIP 28208ZIP 28226ZIP 28278ZIP 28211ZIP 28270ZIP 28217ZIP 28031ZIP 28209ZIP 28036ZIP 28203ZIP 28202ZIP 28206ZIP 28134ZIP 28207ZIP 28204ZIP 28223
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Mecklenburg County, North Carolina: demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy