Charlotte, North Carolina population is 964,784 as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate), ranking #14 nationally and #1 in North Carolina. Cost of living runs 2.7% below the U.S. average (BEA RPP 2024); a family of four needs roughly $105,654/yr to break even (2025 modeled). This profile draws on 13 federal datasets covering population, housing, income, employment, climate, and risk.
At a glance.
2025 population
964,784
+20,731 in the last year
Top 1% of 19,483 U.S. cities
Census Vintage 2025
Cost of living
RPP 97.3
−2.7% vs US
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro · BEA 2024
Family-of-4 budget
$105,654/yr
+32% vs US
Modeled 2025 · federal sources
Median HH income
$82,068
+5.6% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
Median home value
$385,700
+27% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
2-BR fair-market rent
$1,686/mo
HUD FY2026 · 40th pct
Avg July high
90°F
NOAA 1991–2020
Gigabit broadband
63%
ISP-reported, FCC BDC
Explore Charlotte, NC demographics, including age, race and ethnicity, households, origins, language, and education.
How many people live in Charlotte?
964,784 people live in Charlotte as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025), the #14 largest U.S. city.
How big is Charlotte?
Charlotte covers 312.1 square miles of land and 2.0 square miles of water. Its population density is about 3,091 residents per square mile of land. Compare U.S. cities by land area →
Source detail: 2025 population
2025 population
Source agency
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
Dataset
Census PEP
Vintage / period
Vintage 2025 (Jul 1, 2025)
Native geography
Census PEP subcounty place records for the included city universe.
Transformation
Copied from POPESTIMATE2025, joined by Census GEOID, and used for ranks, filters, and city pages.
Known limit: Annual estimate, not a decennial count; each new PEP vintage can revise the prior series.
Population grew 10.3% from the April 2020 base to mid-2025.
Vintage 2025 · annual estimates
Recent history (V2025 series, 2020 base → 2025).
2020 base: 874,708 → 2025: 964,784 (+10.3%)
Year
Population
Reference date
2020 base
874,708
April 1, 2020
2020
874,907
July 1, 2020
2021
882,504
July 1, 2021
2022
898,017
July 1, 2022
2023
918,270
July 1, 2023
2024
944,053
July 1, 2024
2025
964,784
July 1, 2025
Earlier history (2010–2019, prior Census vintage)
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2019 release — a separate, earlier methodology. They’re shown here as historical context only; the 2010 and 2019 values aren’t directly comparable to the 2020–2025 series above.
Population grew 19.9% from the July 2010 estimate to 2019 (V2019 — see seam note below).
Charlotte is the #14 largest of 19,483 U.S. cities and #1 in North Carolina.
▸Show the analyst detail (9 rows)
Measure
Value
Note
2020 base
874,708
April 1, 2020 census base
5-yr change
+90,076
2020 base → 2025; within V2025
5-yr change %
+10.3%
within V2025 only
1-yr change
+20,731
2024 → 2025 estimate
1-yr change %
+2.2%
within V2025 only
Density
3,091
people per sq mi, land only
Land area
312.1
sq mi (2025 Gazetteer)
U.S. rank by population
#14
of 19,483 cities
State rank by population
#1
of 549 in North Carolina
What is the median household income in Charlotte?
Median household income is 6% above the U.S. median ($82,068 vs $77,719); 11.7% live in poverty — 0.8 points below the 12.5% U.S. rate.
Median household income$82,068
US
Charlotte: $82,068 — 6% above the US median of $77,719.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS income data
Charlotte
$82,068
United States
$77,719
Income and poverty estimates for Charlotte from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates (window 2020–2024). Every figure is shown with its 90% margin of error (MOE). Cells where the ± margin exceeds half the estimate are flagged "low precision." See methodology §12.
Measure
Estimate
± margin / note
Median household income
82,068+5.6% vs US
±1,299
Per capita income
51,814+19.7% vs US
±879
Population in poverty
11.7%
share of population for whom poverty status is determined
Median home value is 27% above the U.S. median ($385,700 vs $303,400); median rent is 20% above ($1,612 vs $1,348); price-to-income ratio is 4.7×, making it 1.2× as cost-burdened as the typical U.S. city (3.9×).
Median home value$385,700
US
Charlotte: $385,700 — 27% above the US median of $303,400.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS home-value data
HUD 2-BR fair-market rent$1,686/mo
US
Charlotte: $1,686/mo — 57% above the US median of $1,077/mo.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with a HUD Fair Market Rent
Poverty (Census SAIPE 2024, model-based), unemployment (BLS LAUS 2024 annual averages), and remote-work share (ACS 2020–2024) for Charlotte. Numbers are labeled at their native grain — place-grain when BLS publishes it, otherwise per-county. We do not compute population-weighted county averages. See methodology §13.
Measure
Value
Grain
Unemployment rate (annual avg)
3.7%
Charlotte (BLS sub-state LAUS)
Civilian labor force
518,198
2024 annual avg
Worked from home
28.8%+105.5% vs US
share of workers 16+ commuting from home · U.S. median: 14% · ACS
County context — Charlotte sits in Mecklenburg County:
County
Poverty rate
Median HH income
Unemployment
Mecklenburg County
10.6%
$90,698
3.7%
Top industries by private employment — NAICS supersectors rolled up from Charlotte's linked county in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW, 2024 annual averages). See methodology §11.
#
Industry (NAICS supersector)
Private employment
Avg weekly wage
#1
Finance and insurance (52)
87,476
$3,144 / wk
#2
Professional and technical services (54)
70,770
$2,294 / wk
#3
Accommodation and food services (72)
68,068
$608 / wk
#4
Health care and social assistance (62)
65,902
$1,366 / wk
#5
Retail trade (44-45)
64,565
$859 / wk
What workers earn in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro — top occupations by employment plus six curated benchmarks (registered nurse, software developer, elementary teacher, general manager, retail salesperson, truck driver). Wages are metro-area medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). See methodology §25.
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand is the largest tracked occupation in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro (40,540 jobs, median $38,850/yr).
▸Show all 12 occupations
Occupation
Employment
Median annual
Median hourly
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
40,540
$38,850
$18.68
Cashiers
27,350
$29,610
$14.24
Fast Food and Counter Workers
27,050
$28,880
$13.88
Customer Service Representatives
26,120
$44,980
$21.63
Stockers and Order Fillers
23,250
$37,440
$18.00
Waiters and Waitresses
19,990
$36,430
$17.51
Retail Salespersons · benchmark
35,150
$33,580
$16.14
Registered Nurses · benchmark
27,010
$90,620
$43.57
Software Developers · benchmark
20,820
$135,920
$65.35
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers · benchmark
18,700
$56,120
$26.98
General and Operations Managers · benchmark
18,380
$112,730
$54.20
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education · benchmark
All items run 2.7% below the U.S. average (RPP 97.3); utilities run 10.8% below (RPP 89.2) — the metro's utility affordability is the main driver.
Cost of living (RPP, all items)RPP 97.3
US
Charlotte's cost of living runs 2.7% below the U.S. average (RPP 97.3 vs 100).
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of metro/non-metro areas with a BEA price parity
BEA Regional Price Parity (all items)
RPP 97.3
−2.7% vs U.S. average · BEA 2024 · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR
$1,686/mo
FY2026 · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area
State income tax (top marginal rate)
4.25%
flat · TY2025
Family-of-four monthly budget total
$8,805/mo
3BR rent + food + childcare + taxes + transport · federal sources
Single-adult monthly budget total
$5,747/mo
1BR rent + food + taxes + transport · federal sources
Local income tax
—
not applicable in North Carolina · no modeled local income tax
Household budget figures are arithmetic floors using current federal sources at the grains documented in methodology. Not a recommended salary, not a poverty threshold, not a composite score.
18.7% foreign-born (U.S. median 14%); Spanish is the most-spoken language at home other than English (14.8% of residents 5+).
A quick read on Charlotte's residents — nativity and languages spoken at home shown above, from the ACS 5-Year 2020–2024. The full demographic breakdown (age, race and ethnicity, household types, and educational attainment, each with its margin of error) lives on the demographics page.
Hottest month: July (90°F avg high). Coldest: January (31°F avg low). Annual precipitation: 44.6 in.
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) for Charlotte from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See methodology §15 for the gridded vs. station source path.
Average monthly highs & lows · 30-year normal (NOAA 1991–2020). Every number on this chart is an average.
bar = avg daily high → avg daily lowprecip in inches below each barprecip in millimeters below each bar
Composite risk score: 97.1/100 — Relatively High nationally; top hazard: Riverine Flooding (99.0).
Natural-hazard exposure for Charlotte from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index (FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0). NRI is an expected-annual-loss composite calibrated on 1996–2019 historical losses, published at the U.S. county grain. See methodology §17.
County
NRI composite
Rating
Top hazards
Mecklenburg County
97.1
Relatively High
Riverine Flooding 99.0 Relatively High · Tornado 97.4 Relatively High · Lightning 94.9 Relatively High
Source: FEMA National Risk Index · FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0 · methodology →
How fast is home internet in Charlotte?
20 non-satellite ISPs serve the area; 63% of locations have gigabit-capable service per ISP filings.
Fixed broadband availability for Charlotte from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Collection (BDC), as of June 30, 2025. Every speed and provider count below is an ISP-reported advertised maximum — not measured throughput. Actual delivered speeds typically run 60–80% of advertised. See methodology §16.
Measure
Value
Note
Providers serving this city
20 + satellite
distinct ISPs, excluding satellite-only
Fiber providers
18
offer fiber-to-the-premises somewhere in the BDC
Units with ≥100/20 Mbps fixed
100.0%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Locations with ≥100 Mbps upload
65.3%
derived: max(fiber ≥100/20, gigabit). Fiber is symmetric; gigabit is ≥100 up by definition
Units with ≥1 Gbps fixed
63.3%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Total broadband-serviceable units
437,587
residential locations in the FCC Fabric (not households)
Source: FCC BDC · as of June 30, 2025 · methodology →
How much crime is reported in Charlotte?
In 2024, law enforcement reported 7,355 violent and 37,169 property offenses in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg jurisdiction — a violent-crime rate of 733.2 per 100,000, above the U.S. estimate of 359.1.
Reported offenses known to law enforcement from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program (CIUS Table 8), 2024. Figures describe the FBI agency jurisdiction: Charlotte-Mecklenburg — an FBI jurisdiction population of 1,003,130, versus the Census place population of 964,784. The rate per 100,000 is the FBI's own (count ÷ that jurisdiction population), never divided by the Census place figure. These are reported crimes under voluntary participation — not measured or victimization crime — and the FBI cautions against using them to rank or compare places. See methodology §31.
Offenses known, 2024
Count
Rate /100k
U.S. rate
Violent crime
7,355
733.2
359.1
Property crime
37,169
3,705.3
1,760.1
▸Offense breakdown and 3-year trend
Offense, 2024
Count
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter
109
Rape
250
Robbery
1,308
Aggravated assault
5,688
Burglary
4,284
Larceny-theft
25,261
Motor vehicle theft
7,624
Arson (12-month reporters only)
164
Year
Violent /100k
Property /100k
Jurisdiction pop.
2022
746.4
3,374.9
955,466
2023
726.1
3,835.9
979,304
2024
733.2
3,705.3
1,003,130
Only years the agency reported a complete 12 months appear; the FBI does not estimate missing agency-years, so a gap is a non-reporting year, not zero crime.
U.S. rate is the FBI national estimate (imputes non-reporting agencies); the city figures are reported-only. Source: FBI UCR CIUS Table 8 (2022–2024) · FBI agency jurisdiction: Charlotte-Mecklenburg · methodology → · FBI Crime Data Explorer →
In-state context.
Charlotte sits at state rank #1 among 549 cities in North Carolina. Nearby in the state ranking:
Just above in the profiled set: San Jose, CA · #13 · 989,814 residents.
Just below in the profiled set: Columbus, OH · #15 · 938,396 residents.
Quick travel facts for Charlotte
Quick travel facts.
Nearest commercial airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport(CLT) · 6 mi 10 km from city centroid
Best months to visit
May, Oct · months when the avg high sits in 65–80°F and precipitation is at or below the city's median monthly precip
Sources: elevation from USGS Elevation Point Query Service (3DEP) · nearest airport from OurAirports CSV (FAA-aligned, type=large/medium, scheduled_service=yes) · best months derived from NOAA 1991-2020 normals · methodology →
Frequently asked questions about Charlotte.
How many people live in Charlotte, NC?
Charlotte has 964,784 residents as of July 1, 2025, making it the #14 largest city in the United States and #1 in North Carolina. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025.
Is Charlotte growing or shrinking?
Charlotte has grown 10.3% since the April 2020 census baseline, adding 90,076 residents, including a 2.2% increase from 2024 to 2025. Source: Census PEP Vintage 2025.
What was Charlotte's population in the 2020 census?
The GEOID for Charlotte is 3712000. These are the official datasets used by this profile's main data modules; click "methodology" for inclusion rules and the V2019 ↔ V2025 seam, or "source" for the raw publisher page. The headline population value above includes a source-detail disclosure with publisher, dataset, vintage, native geography, transformation, and caveat.
