Concentration of residents
Trends in population show where the community is growing and where it is declining, which can help government agencies and service providers identify where infrastructure, services, and investment may be needed. Higher population density decreases cost of infrastructure such as roads and utilities, and increases efficiency of service delivery such as police, fire and emergency services. Greater population density in a neighborhood can support the availability of local retail options, schools and transit. On a regional scale, population density can yield economic benefits through higher labor productivity, enhanced innovation, and higher income growth.
To compare density across metropolitan areas, demographers use population-weighted density, a measure which counts the density around each person and averages it over all the residents in an area. Although the Charlotte region is a comparatively low-density region, Mecklenburg County is the most densly populated county in North Carolina. It is the 38th largest county by land area, but is the second most populous county according to the 2020 Census.
The North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management projects that Mecklenburg County will grow to a population of more than 1.54 million residents in 2040 - a 40% increase expected in just 20 years.
Housing Density
Population - Older Adult
Population - Youth
Total population divided by land area.
Note: The total population estimate is derived by calculating number of housing units x occupancy rate x average household size + population in group quarters. This is the most commonly used method for small area population estimates between decennial censuses.
Data for the year 2000 were calculated by the Minnesota Population Center by reaggregating and interpolating data from the 2000 census block to 2010 census block group, the base geography of the NPA.
Source: Mecklenburg County Tax Parcels; U.S. Postal Service; area colleges and universities; U.S. Census Bureau. Decennial Census & Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) files; Minnesota Population Center, National Historical Geographic Information System
| Resource | Learn More and Take Action |
|---|---|
| Charlotte Explorer | Learn about Charlotte, its operations and its changing landscape. |
| Polaris 3G | Mecklenburg County property ownership and land records system. |
| Population Projections | North Carolina's estimates on state-wide population growth. |
| America's Densest Metros | Insight into comparing density across U.S. metro areas, including national map from a special Census report (PDF Download) on population change. |
| Who's moving to Charlotte? | Analysis of national migration to and from Mecklenburg County from the UNCC Urban Institute. |
| CONNECT Our Future | A regional growth framework for the 14-county region surrounding Mecklenburg to grow jobs, improve quality of life, and control the cost of government. |