Summary Report
The Quality of Life Explorer is an interactive online tool to help neighborhoods, government leaders and staff, businesses, community organizations, new residents and others learn more about our county and the diverse neighborhoods within it. The Explorer features over 80 variables that reflect you, the places you live and work, and collectively, our community.
On these pages, you’ll find information about the selected area’s social, housing, economic and environmental conditions. Check out the Explorer online to learn more about what’s happening, see trends over time, and connect to resources to take action on the issues that matter to you.
Learn More. Take Action. Create Change.
Character
| Variable | Selected | County | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age of Residents (2019)Median age of residents | -- | 36 | Years |
| Area (2015)Total land area | -- | 334,994 | Acres |
| Population - Older Adult (2019)Percentage of the population age 65 and over | -- | 11% | |
| Population - Youth (2019)Percentage of the population under the age of 18 | -- | 24% | |
| Population Density (2020)Concentration of residents | ---- | 31,115,476 | People per AcrePeople |
| Race/Ethnicity - All Other Races (2020)Percentage of population self-identified as American Indian, Native Hawaiian, some other race, or two or more races | -- | 4.5% | |
| Race/Ethnicity - Asian (2020)Percentage of population self-identified as Asian | -- | 6.4% | |
| Race/Ethnicity - Black or African American (2020)Percentage of population self-identified as Black or African-American | -- | 29.1% | |
| Race/Ethnicity - Hispanic or Latino (2020)Percentage of population self-identified as Hispanic or Latino | -- | 15.2% | |
| Race/Ethnicity - White or Caucasian (2020)Percentage of population self-identified as White or Caucasian | -- | 44.7% | |
| Vacant Land (2021)Percentage of land area that is classified as vacant | ---- | 16%53,440 | Acres |
Economy
| Variable | Selected | County | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Age (2020)Average age of commercial buildings | -- | 36 | Years |
| Commercial Construction (2021)Concentration of commercial building permits | ---- | 1.34,476 | Permits per 100 AcresPermits |
| Commercial Space (2020)Average square footage of commercial space per parcel | ---- | 20,348417,682,065 | Average Square FeetSquare Feet |
| Employment (2019)Percentage of adults in the labor force who are employed | -- | 95% | |
| Food and Nutrition Services (2021)Percentage of the population who receive Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) | -- | 15% | |
| Household Income (2019)Median household income | -- | $76,452 | |
| Job Density (2017)Concentration of jobs | ---- | 2.1712,595 | Jobs per AcreJobs |
| Proximity to Financial Services (2020)Percentage of housing units within ½-mile of a bank or credit union | ---- | 34%162,089 | Units |
Environment
| Variable | Selected | County | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adopt-a-Street Participation (2021)Percentage of eligible streets adopted for clean-up | ---- | 20%1,076 | Miles |
| Adopt-a-Stream Participation (2021)Percentage of eligible streams adopted for clean-up | ---- | 45%491 | Miles |
| Commuters Driving Alone (2019)Percentage of workers who commute by driving alone | -- | 84% | |
| Energy Consumption - Electricity (2013)Average monthly household electricity consumption | ---- | 1,184376,998,025 | Kilowatt hours per month per unitKilowatt hours per month |
| Energy Consumption - Natural Gas (2013)Average monthly household natural gas consumption | ---- | 5111,657,563 | Therms per month per unitTherms per month |
| Impervious Surface (2021)Percentage of land area that is impervious | ---- | 15.9%53,325 | Acres |
| Residential Recycling (2021)Percentage of eligible households that participate in municipal curbside recycling | ---- | 65.1%139,161 | Units |
| Residential Solid Waste (2021)Average daily waste generation per household | ---- | 8.71,864,894 | Pounds per Day per unitPounds per Day |
| Residential Solid Waste Diversion (2021)Percentage of residential solid waste diverted from landfills through recycling and yard waste processing | ---- | 25.8%86,538 | Tons |
| Tree Canopy (2012)Percentage of land area covered by tree canopy | ---- | 51.3%172,122 | Acres |
| Tree Canopy - Residential (2012)Percentage of residential land area covered by tree canopy | ---- | 55%76,338 | Acres |
| Water Consumption (2020)Average daily water consumption for single-family housing units | ---- | 15239,788,773 | Gallons per Day per unitGallons per Day |
Education
| Variable | Selected | County | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education Level - Bachelor's Degree (2019)Percentage of adults over age 25 with a Bachelor's degree or higher | -- | 45% | |
| Education Level - High School Diploma (2019)Percentage of adults over age 25 with a high school diploma or equivalent | -- | 90% | |
| High School Graduation Rate (2019)Percentage of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) students graduating high school in 4 years | -- | 89% | |
| Library Card Holders (2018)Percentage of population with an active library card | -- | 18% | |
| Neighborhood School Attendance (2019)Percentage of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) students attending their home school | -- | 76% | |
| Proximity to Early Care and Education (2020)Percentage of housing units within ½-mile of a licensed early care and education program for children birth to age 5 | ---- | 61%290,710 | Units |
| Proximity to School-Age Care (2020)Percentage of housing units within ½-mile of a licensed school-age program for children ages 5-12 | ---- | 65%311,559 | Units |
| Student Absenteeism (2019)Percentage of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) students absent 10 percent or more of school days | -- | 14% | |
| Test Proficiency - Elementary School (2019)Percentage of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) students in grades 3-5 proficient in End of Grade testing | -- | 48.1% | |
| Test Proficiency - High School (2019)Percentage of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) students in grades 9-12 proficient in End-of-Course testing | -- | 47.5% | |
| Test Proficiency - Middle School (2019)Percentage of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) students in grades 6-8 proficient in End of Grade testing | -- | 43.5% |
Engagement
| Variable | Selected | County | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 311 Requests (2021)Concentration of 311 requests from residents | ---- | 31.9355,501 | Calls per 100 PeopleCalls |
| Arts and Culture Participation (2013)Percentage of households that participate in ASC-sponsored arts or cultural activities | ---- | 15%58,868 | Households |
| Municipal Board/Committee Participation (2021)Number of residents that serve on appointed public boards, committees and commissions per 1,000 residents | ---- | 0446 | Residents serving per 1,000 PeoplePeople |
| Neighborhood Organizations (2021)Number of neighborhood organizations registered with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Department | -- | 316 | Organizations |
| Voter Participation (2020)Percentage of registered voters that voted in the general election | ---- | 71.8%565,176 | People |
Health
| Variable | Selected | County | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age of Death (2019)Average age of death | -- | 72 | Years |
| Births to Adolescents (2019)Percentage of births to females under 19 | -- | 2.4% | |
| Low Birthweight (2019)Percentage of births where birth weight was less than 5lb 8oz | -- | 9.9% | |
| Prenatal Care (2019)Percentage of births where mother received adequate pre-natal care | -- | 57.6% | |
| Proximity to a Pharmacy (2021)Percentage of housing units within ½-mile of a pharmacy | ---- | 34%167,977 | Units |
| Proximity to Low-Cost Health Care (2019)Percentage of housing units within ½-mile of a Medicaid provider or free clinic | ---- | 30%141,988 | Units |
| Proximity to Public Outdoor Recreation (2020)Percentage of housing units within ½-mile of an outdoor public recreation area | ---- | 58%280,019 | Units |
| Proximity to a Grocery Store (2021)Percentage of housing units within ½-mile of a full-service, chain grocery store | ---- | 32%156,180 | Units |
| Public Health Insurance (2017)Percentage of the population who receive Medicaid or N.C. Health Choice | -- | 15% |
Housing
| Variable | Selected | County | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Ownership (2019)Percentage of housing units that are owner-occupied | -- | 56% | |
| Home Sales Price (2019)Average sales price of homes | -- | $331,047 | |
| Housing Age (2020)Average age of single-family housing units | -- | 34 | Years |
| Housing Assistance – Development-Based (2017)Percentage of housing units with development-based rental assistance | ---- | 2%10,590 | Units |
| Housing Code Violations (2020)Housing-related code violations per 100 units | ---- | 01,405 | Violations per 100 UnitsViolations |
| Housing Density (2020)Concentration of housing units | ---- | 1.4459,420 | Units per AcreUnits |
| Housing Size (2020)Average heated living space of single-family housing units | -- | 2,206 | Average Sqft |
| Rental Costs (2019)Median gross rent of renter-occupied housing units | -- | $1,167 | |
| Rental Houses (2020)Percentage of detached single-family dwellings that are rentals | ---- | 21%55,208 | Units |
| Residential Demolitions (2020)Concentration of residential demolitions | ---- | 1.2534 | Demos per 1,000 unitsdemolitions |
| Residential Foreclosures (2020)Percentage of dwellings that were foreclosed | ---- | 0.1%164 | Units |
| Residential New Construction (2021)Concentration of residential units permitted for new construction | ---- | 3.812,751 | Units per 100 AcresUnits |
| Residential Occupancy (2019)Percentage of housing units that are occupied | -- | 92% | |
| Residential Renovation (2021)Concentration of residential units permitted for renovation | ---- | 2.47,897 | Units per 100 AcresUnits |
| Single-Family Housing (2020)Percentage of housing units that are single-family houses | ---- | 57%263,774 | Units |
Safety
| Variable | Selected | County | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calls for Animal Care and Control (2021)Animal control calls per 1,000 residents | ---- | 2523,093 | Calls per 1,000 PeopleCalls |
| Crime - Property (2021)Property crime rate per 1,000 residents | ---- | 31.529,099 | Crimes per 1,000 PeopleCrimes |
| Crime - Violent (2021)Violent crime rate per 1,000 residents | ---- | 5.55,293 | Crimes per 1,000 PeopleCrimes |
| Disorder-related Calls (2021)Disorder-related calls per 1,000 residents | ---- | 9789,763 | Calls per 1,000 PeopleCalls |
| Fire Calls for Service (2021)Fire calls for service per 1,000 residents | ---- | 37.133,854 | Calls per 1,000 PeopleCalls |
| Nuisance Violations (2020)Nuisance violations per 100 housing units | ---- | 6.726,205 | Violations per 100 UnitsViolations |
Transportation
| Variable | Selected | County | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bicycle Friendliness (2021)Index measuring the transportation network's ability to comfortably support cycling | -- | 1.4 | Index Value (1-3) |
| Long Commute (2019)Percentage of auto commuters traveling 20 minutes or more to work | -- | 61% | |
| Proximity to Public Transportation (2020)Percentage of housing units within ½-mile of a transit stop | ---- | 68%323,628 | Units |
| Sidewalk Availability (2015)Percentage of paved streets that have sidewalks | ---- | 42.5%2,098 | Miles |
| Street Connectivity (2021)Index measuring the connectedness of the street network | -- | 1.21 | Index Value (1-3) |
| Transit Ridership (2021)Average weekly bus and train boardings per stop | ---- | 42128,498 | Boardings per stopWeekly boardings |