As Charlotte and Mecklenburg County continue their overall growth, it is necessary to understand how change is distributed throughout the community.   The following maps show an analysis of intra-county growth trends and some of the infrastructure that supports it.

The maps are accessible as PDF documents and require a 'viewer' program to be read. The FREE viewer can be downloaded from Adobe.

This publication is available in hardcopy form and maybe purchased online.

Mecklenburg County, NC - Major roads and pinpoints charlotte city limits.

Total Population - This map shows that many tracts in the inner city, along with some on the west side and in the south reported population losses between 1990 and 2003.  Strong growth was recorded in the far south and in the north and northeast sectors of the county.  Five of these tracts grew by more than 448% in the 13-year period.

Population Change - The North Carolina state demographer has projected that Mecklenburg's population will grow by over 600,000 by 2030, reaching a total of some 1.3 million.  Most of this growth is expected to come from people moving into Charlotte-Mecklenburg from across the country and from overseas.

Asian Population - Growth and distribution patterns of Charlotte's Asian population.

Hispanic/Latino Population - Growth and distribution patterns of Charlotte's Hispanic/Latino population.

Households and Housing - The number of households in Charlotte-Mecklenburg increased by about 47 percent between 1990 and 2003, reaching a total of 294,211.  However the number of persons per household stayed at about 2.5/hhld.  Many tracts, especially those on the city's west side, recorded a loss of housing units primarily because of the growth of the airport while areas in the south and north showed very strong gains.

Households - Number of household density in the county.

Housing Units - Actual residential units distributed throughout Mecklenburg county.

Change in Number of Housing Units - Where housing growth occurred between 1990 and 2003.

Housing Values - The median value of owner-occupied housing units increased by nearly 83% between 1990 and 2003, to $159,097.  The range of these changes was considerable, from a decline in several tracts to increases of over 150% in several northern and southern areas.

Major Apartment Complexes - The Charlotte Apartment Association reports that Mecklenburg County contained 73,914 apartment units in March 2003, with an 11% vacancy rate.  Rents varied according to location, ranging from an average of $1,137 in the downtown area to a low of $514 per month in the area on the northeast side of the center city.  The map displays the distribution of apartments complexes containing 100 or more units.

Per Capita Income - Median household income levels in 2003 have been estimated to be $57,773, an increase of nearly 71% over 1990.  The countywide average in 2003 was $31,329 but the values for individual Census Tracts ranged from less than $18,000 to a high of over $100,000.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Schools - Charlotte-Mecklenburg public school system is the largest in NC, with over 112,000 students in the 2003-2004 school year.  They were accommodated in 88 elementary, 29 middle and 17 high schools, plus 17 special program schools.  The student body is ethnically diverse: 43% white, 43% African American, 8% Hispanic, 4% Asian, and 2% Native American.  The map displays the location fo the high and middle schools.  The elementary schools are too numerous to display on this map but information on them and the other schools may be obtained at the CMS website.

Universities and Colleges - Charlotte-Mecklenburg is the site of a number of public and private universities, colleges and community colleges.

Non-Residential Construction - Value of non-residential building permits, which include: offices, stores and factories located in the county between 2000 and September 2003.  Despite the sluggish national economy during that time, nearly $1.3 billion worth of such permits were issued in Mecklenburg County.

Office Buildings - Multi-tenant office space in Mecklenburg County totaled 38.6 million square feet (msf) in the 4th quarter of 2003, up from over 32 msf in early 2000.

Industrial and Business Parks - Includes office/warehouse establishments, sales offices combined with light manufacturing and/or warehouse operations. This map includes a list with names of industrial sites and business parks.

Shopping Centers - Major retail shopping in the metro area.

Inter-County Commuting, 2000 - One quarter of all employees in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg labor force live somewhere else.  This map depicts the number of workers who commute every day to and from Mecklenburg County. 

Drive Time to Work - The average time it takes a driver to get to work within the county.  Drive Time Study, maps depicting average time to drive from a specific location in the county.

2025 Transit Plan - Plan to improve transit services in Mecklenburg county.

Existing and Proposed Thoroughfares, 2000-2020 - Major streets and highways that cover the county and major improvements that are contained in the Charlotte Department of Transportation 2020 Plan.