The 10 Best Charlotte Suburbs To Live In For 2024


The best Charlotte suburbs are Tega Cay and Davidson for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

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


What’s the best suburb of Charlotte? Tega Cay ranks as the best suburb of Charlotte for 2024 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 2024

Tega Cay, SC

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 12,816
Median Income: $140,172
Unemployment Rate: 1.3%
Poverty Rate: 0.4%
More on Tega Cay: Data | Real Estate

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 $140,172 a year, which is the 4th highest in the Charlotte region. And only 1.27% are out of work. Homes average more than $565,388 each.

Davidson, NC

Source: Flickr User davidwilson1949 | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 15,199
Median Income: $140,938
Unemployment Rate: 2.4%
Poverty Rate: 5.9%
More on Davidson: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Davidson is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Charlotte for 2024.

It ranks 3rd for incomes in the area and only 3.84% of residents lack insurance, good for 3rd best.

Review Of Davidson by HomeSnacks User

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.

Weddington, NC

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 13,173
Median Income: $171,810
Unemployment Rate: 2.2%
Poverty Rate: 2.2%
More on Weddington: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Here in Weddington, 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 Weddington.

Review Of Weddington by HomeSnacks User

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.

Cornelius, NC

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 31,396
Median Income: $107,969
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
Poverty Rate: 5.2%
More on Cornelius: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Cornelius ranks as the 4th best suburb of Charlotte for 2024.

You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Cornelius and the schools are some of the best around.

Harrisburg, NC

Source: Wikipedia User Cabarruscountylibrary | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 18,934
Median Income: $134,767
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
Poverty Rate: 2.9%
More on Harrisburg: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Coming in as the fifth best is Harrisburg.

Harrisburg gets kudos for having the 10th most expensive homes in the Charlotte area, where houses sell for an average of $477,928. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.

Waxhaw, NC

Source: Flickr User MikeKalasnik | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 20,665
Median Income: $124,711
Unemployment Rate: 3.3%
Poverty Rate: 3.8%
More on Waxhaw: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Waxhaw 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 3.26%.

According to online reports, Waxhaw is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Charlotte area, meaning you need to get in soon.

Huntersville, NC

Source: Wikipedia User Property of PLCMC | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 61,202
Median Income: $112,893
Unemployment Rate: 4.1%
Poverty Rate: 4.2%
More on Huntersville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

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.

Fort Mill, SC

Source: Wikipedia User Bill Fitzpatrick | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 26,022
Median Income: $128,125
Unemployment Rate: 2.3%
Poverty Rate: 4.6%
More on Fort Mill: Data | Real Estate

Fort Mill 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 4.1% of people lack insurance, good for 4th in the area.

Matthews, NC

Source: Wikipedia User Property of PLCMC | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 29,613
Median Income: $103,405
Unemployment Rate: 3.0%
Poverty Rate: 4.8%
More on Matthews: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Is ‘Everything Better In Matthews?’

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.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 6,421
Median Income: $238,875
Unemployment Rate: 4.4%
Poverty Rate: 8.5%
More on Marvin: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

And rounding out the top ten for 2024 is Marvin.

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 2024

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 2018-2022 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 41 suburbs to evaluate around Charlotte.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 41 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 2024. 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 2024

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:

Table: Best Charlotte Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income Average Home Price
1 Tega Cay, NC 12,816 $140,172 $565,388
2 Davidson, NC 15,199 $140,938 $624,402
3 Weddington, NC 13,173 $171,810 $936,823
4 Cornelius, NC 31,396 $107,969 $501,024
5 Harrisburg, NC 18,934 $134,767 $477,928
6 Waxhaw, NC 20,665 $124,711 $561,159
7 Huntersville, NC 61,202 $112,893 $517,476
8 Fort Mill, NC 26,022 $128,125 $505,522
9 Matthews, NC 29,613 $103,405 $468,340
10 Marvin, NC 6,421 $238,875 $1,073,504
11 Stallings, NC 16,193 $99,451 $433,914
12 Lake Park, NC 3,342 $73,972 $379,829
13 Indian Trail, NC 40,325 $95,101 $408,207
14 Mooresville, NC 50,025 $82,622 $468,555
15 Midland, NC 4,675 $101,220 $362,790
16 Wesley Chapel, NC 8,763 $133,333 $595,551
17 Cramerton, NC 5,294 $89,313 $282,370
18 Belmont, NC 14,842 $84,274 $403,471
19 Mint Hill, NC 26,537 $92,102 $471,547
20 Unionville, NC 6,694 $90,904 $400,244
21 Concord, NC 105,335 $83,480 $361,879
22 Oakboro, NC 2,379 $78,453 $296,496
23 Ranlo, NC 4,487 $78,533 $262,751
24 Stanley, NC 3,967 $61,723 $332,299
25 Pineville, NC 10,532 $55,450 $390,836
26 Mount Holly, NC 17,644 $73,923 $341,383
27 Mineral Springs, NC 3,185 $94,113 $379,811
28 Landis, NC 3,663 $73,571 $241,768
29 Wingate, NC 4,061 $72,188 $293,700
30 Rock Hill, NC 74,170 $60,807 $312,290
31 Locust, NC 4,700 $52,551 $353,374
32 Kannapolis, NC 53,314 $66,487 $259,607
33 Dallas, NC 5,889 $55,979 $255,650
34 Gastonia, NC 80,615 $58,047 $275,514
35 Clover, NC 6,800 $63,649 $392,293
36 Lowell, NC 3,692 $55,481 $257,797
37 China Grove, NC 4,449 $44,881 $275,642
38 Monroe, NC 34,897 $63,982 $320,941
39 Lincolnton, NC 11,225 $41,614 $273,540
40 Kings Mountain, NC 11,246 $45,301 $218,463
41 York, NC 8,534 $50,177 $333,788
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.