While big cities like Charlotte offer culture, cuisine, and charisma, they also deliver terrible traffic, towering expenses, and a taxing quality of life.
With that in mind, we wanted to uncover the best suburbs around Charlotte. These burbs have all of the benefits of being near Charlotte without actually having to be in the city.
Of course, not all suburbs of Charlotte are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. Using Saturday Night Science, we delve into the factors that matter most, from commutes and housing costs to community vibes, to help you uncover the perfect suburban spots in the Greater Charlotte area.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 best suburbs to live around Charlotte for 2025:
What’s the best suburb of Charlotte? Tega Cay ranks as the best suburb of Charlotte for 2025 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Tega Cay, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.
We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 Charlotte ‘burbs better than the rest–but first, a bit about our methodology.
Feel free to check out some more reading about North Carolina:
The 10 Best Charlotte Suburbs To Live For 2025
/10
Population: 13,267
Median Income: $141,037
Unemployment Rate: 1.6%
Poverty Rate: 0.6%
More on Tega Cay: Data
Tega Cay is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Charlotte area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Tega Cay.”
Everyone here is rich; families average $141,037 a year, which is the 5th highest in the Charlotte region. And only 1.64% are out of work. Homes average more than $494,500 each.
/10
Population: 13,468
Median Income: $196,159
Unemployment Rate: 2.2%
Poverty Rate: 3.6%
More on Weddington: Data
Weddington is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Charlotte for 2025.
It ranks 2nd for incomes in the area and only 2.42% of residents lack insurance, good for best.
Chapel Hill – Born and Raised – we are snobs because we lived in ShangriLa.
However….it has turned into a bad bedroom community of Raleigh. It is also infiltrated with Yankees. 40 years ago, it was a great town.
Now it s***s….except for the Heels!
Carrborro – The place is a dump. The people are not snobs at all. They are gay, and maybe snobbish in the gay community, however not relevant to anyone else. People in Chapel Hill do not even go to Carrboro….ever.
/10
Population: 32,009
Median Income: $114,688
Unemployment Rate: 3.6%
Poverty Rate: 4.4%
More on Cornelius: Data
Here in Cornelius, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Charlotte metro area.
The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.
But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in Cornelius.
/10
Population: 14,852
Median Income: $152,969
Unemployment Rate: 3.9%
Poverty Rate: 7.0%
More on Davidson: Data
Davidson ranks as the 4th best suburb of Charlotte for 2025.
You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Davidson and the schools are some of the best around.
ive. Does have some problems, but at least it has not run all its middle class and minority people away like Davidson. Lived in Davidson from 1980 to 2015. Loved it! Well, loved it most of the time. Was a great small town for most of that time, but in the last 10 years or so, my ability to live there was not financially viable.
Couldn’t retire there.
When I moved to Davidson, I might see a dozen cars between Exit 30 and Sunset Road. I am happy that Davidson is moving in the direction their citizens embrace. Change is always happening. And I am sure my friends, long time residents and new arrivals are thrilled to be there.
/10
Population: 29,959
Median Income: $105,579
Unemployment Rate: 2.2%
Poverty Rate: 4.0%
More on Matthews: Data
Coming in as the fifth best is Matthews.
Matthews gets kudos for having the 11th most expensive homes in the Charlotte area, where houses sell for an average of $406,800. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
/10
Population: 28,281
Median Income: $127,537
Unemployment Rate: 2.3%
Poverty Rate: 3.7%
More on Fort Mill: Data
Fort Mill is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.
Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 2.31%.
According to online reports, Fort Mill is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Charlotte area, meaning you need to get in soon.
/10
Population: 62,458
Median Income: $119,951
Unemployment Rate: 3.6%
Poverty Rate: 3.4%
More on Huntersville: Data
The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Huntersville.
Huntersville schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.
And, it’s only 13.8 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
/10
Population: 6,542
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 3.5%
Poverty Rate: 6.6%
More on Marvin: Data
Marvin is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.
A solid 2.86% of people lack insurance, good for 2nd in the area.
/10
Population: 19,203
Median Income: $143,393
Unemployment Rate: 2.6%
Poverty Rate: 3.8%
More on Harrisburg: Data
Is ‘Everything Better In Harrisburg?’
Almost.
It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it’s really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.
/10
Population: 21,565
Median Income: $128,115
Unemployment Rate: 3.6%
Poverty Rate: 4.3%
More on Waxhaw: Data
And rounding out the top ten for 2025 is Waxhaw.
This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It’s far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Charlotte for 2025
Figuring out the best suburbs around Charlotte was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.
We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2019-2023 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:
- Low unemployment rate
- High median household incomes
- Population density (lots of things to do)
- High home values
- A lot of college-educated people
- Low poverty
- High rate of insured families
We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Charlotte.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 42 suburbs to evaluate around Charlotte.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 42 in each category, where 1 was the “best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.
Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Charlotte.” We’re lookin’ at you, Tega Cay.
This result may differ from our state-wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a more extensive selection of suburbs.
We updated the data for 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking the best Charlotte suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.
Summary: Welcome to the Best Charlotte ‘Burbs of 2025
We said it once, and we’ll say it again–life in the big city isn’t for everyone. At least not all the time.
The best suburbs of Charlotte are .
So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Charlotte but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you.
For more North Carolina reading, check out:
- Best Places To Retire In North Carolina
- Richest Cities In North Carolina
- Safest Cities in North Carolina
Table: Best Charlotte Suburbs
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tega Cay, NC | 13,267 | $141,037 | $494,500 |
| 2 | Weddington, NC | 13,468 | $196,159 | $730,200 |
| 3 | Cornelius, NC | 32,009 | $114,688 | $512,400 |
| 4 | Davidson, NC | 14,852 | $152,969 | $626,000 |
| 5 | Matthews, NC | 29,959 | $105,579 | $406,800 |
| 6 | Fort Mill, NC | 28,281 | $127,537 | $457,000 |
| 7 | Huntersville, NC | 62,458 | $119,951 | $439,300 |
| 8 | Marvin, NC | 6,542 | $250,001 | $860,600 |
| 9 | Harrisburg, NC | 19,203 | $143,393 | $431,900 |
| 10 | Waxhaw, NC | 21,565 | $128,115 | $506,300 |
| 11 | Stallings, NC | 16,495 | $106,074 | $381,700 |
| 12 | Lake Park, NC | 3,365 | $76,366 | $296,400 |
| 13 | Wesley Chapel, NC | 8,923 | $129,962 | $493,900 |
| 14 | Cramerton, NC | 5,376 | $94,390 | $322,900 |
| 15 | Mooresville, NC | 51,447 | $88,592 | $348,500 |
| 16 | Midland, NC | 4,758 | $85,551 | $342,700 |
| 17 | Indian Trail, NC | 41,146 | $99,073 | $343,500 |
| 18 | Unionville, NC | 6,826 | $92,009 | $312,200 |
| 19 | Belmont, NC | 15,140 | $86,442 | $349,700 |
| 20 | Ranlo, NC | 4,556 | $75,843 | $184,500 |
| 21 | Mint Hill, NC | 26,954 | $99,272 | $386,900 |
| 22 | Concord, NC | 106,518 | $84,752 | $327,600 |
| 23 | Landis, NC | 3,726 | $82,645 | $233,400 |
| 24 | Stanley, NC | 4,014 | $71,333 | $229,000 |
| 25 | Mineral Springs, NC | 3,244 | $88,203 | $353,500 |
| 26 | Pineville, NC | 10,780 | $64,257 | $344,700 |
| 27 | Mount Holly, NC | 17,928 | $75,928 | $286,400 |
| 28 | Dallas, NC | 6,012 | $57,755 | $221,700 |
| 29 | Locust, NC | 5,529 | $78,280 | $285,800 |
| 30 | Oakboro, NC | 2,453 | $76,071 | $235,800 |
| 31 | Rock Hill, NC | 74,769 | $64,770 | $267,400 |
| 32 | Kannapolis, NC | 56,470 | $70,691 | $245,500 |
| 33 | Hemby Bridge, NC | 2,079 | $71,953 | $262,300 |
| 34 | Gastonia, NC | 81,632 | $60,554 | $250,000 |
| 35 | Lincolnton, NC | 11,503 | $43,294 | $224,600 |
| 36 | China Grove, NC | 4,487 | $53,717 | $207,500 |
| 37 | Lowell, NC | 3,711 | $51,829 | $152,200 |
| 38 | Wingate, NC | 4,169 | $65,208 | $217,700 |
| 39 | Monroe, NC | 35,596 | $67,265 | $270,600 |
| 40 | Clover, NC | 7,013 | $66,992 | $236,100 |
| 41 | Kings Mountain, NC | 11,472 | $45,507 | $177,700 |
| 42 | York, NC | 8,697 | $47,315 | $161,000 |