HomeNorth CarolinaMecklenburg County
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina had an estimated 1,206,285 residents on July 1, 2024, up 8.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 1,115,535, across 524 square miles. County output reached $186.11 bn in 2024, 36,472 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1,533 7(a) approvals worth $1.04 bn since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Mecklenburg County
How many people live in Mecklenburg County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20241,154,681
- Households466,527
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$87,005
- Median age35.5
- Median gross rent$1,627 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$406,800
- Home value to household income4.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher49.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree17.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over784,974
- Population under 18263,733
- Share under 1822.8 percent
- Population 65 and over137,905
- Share 65 and over11.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64753,043
- Civilian labor force660,759
- Unemployment rate4.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over74.2 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties2nd of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included41st of 3,222
Mecklenburg County is the 2nd largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 4.7 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.8 percent against 11.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Mecklenburg County
Is Mecklenburg County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20241,206,285
- Census 2020 base population1,115,535
- Population change since the 2020 census base8.14 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202430,057
- Births, 202415,077
- Deaths, 20247,103
- Natural change, 20247,974
- Net domestic migration, 20242,382
- Net international migration, 202419,699
- Total net migration, 202422,081
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20247,703
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents232nd of 3,144
The county has grown 8.14 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Mecklenburg County
Where are people moving to Mecklenburg County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving42,263
- People arriving, from those returns67,560
- Tax returns filed by households leaving39,687
- Net household movement2,576
- Adjusted gross income arriving$3.66 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-38.8 m
- Average income of an arriving household$86,702
- Average income of a leaving household$93,307
- Largest single originCabarrus County (2,173 households)
- Largest single destinationCabarrus County (3,236 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabarrus County | 2,173 | 3,778 | $156.4 m |
| Union County | 1,893 | 3,285 | $196.9 m |
| York County | 1,388 | 2,261 | $98.0 m |
| Gaston County | 1,346 | 2,288 | $76.6 m |
| Wake County | 1,171 | 1,622 | $85.5 m |
| Iredell County | 915 | 1,524 | $80.4 m |
| Guilford County | 805 | 1,168 | $44.9 m |
| Forsyth County | 498 | 712 | $33.9 m |
Households arriving report $6,605 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Cabarrus County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Mecklenburg County
What is the Mecklenburg County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$186.11 bn
- County GDP, 2023$173.97 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.0 percent
- GDP change over five years46.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among the North Carolina areas BEA publishes1st of 100
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes20th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$161,182
Output grew 7.0 percent in the latest year and 46.3 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Mecklenburg County
Employment by industry in Mecklenburg County
- Covered employment, annual average788,436
- Establishments reporting53,030
- Average annual pay$88,111
- Average weekly wage$1,694
- Finance and insurance, employment87,476
- Finance and insurance, average annual pay$163,484
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment70,770
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$119,282
- Accommodation and food services, employment68,068
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$31,596
- Health care and social assistance, employment65,902
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$71,036
- Retail trade, employment64,565
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment61,781
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance and insurance | 87,476 | 3,544 | $163,484 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 70,770 | 10,220 | $119,282 |
| Accommodation and food services | 68,068 | 3,611 | $31,596 |
| Health care and social assistance | 65,902 | 4,605 | $71,036 |
| Retail trade | 64,565 | 4,052 | $44,679 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 61,781 | 3,987 | $60,719 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 51,522 | 1,732 | $72,585 |
| Construction | 40,961 | 4,083 | $87,028 |
Finance and insurance is the largest private sector at 87,476 jobs, 11.1 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Mecklenburg County
How many businesses are in Mecklenburg County?
- Establishments, all industries36,472
- Employment at those establishments732,418
- Annual payroll$57.25 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents31.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Mecklenburg County
Building permits in Mecklenburg County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202411,969
- Declared construction value permitted$2.63 bn
- Single family units authorized6,496
- Multifamily units authorized5,473
- Multifamily share of units45.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$219,333
- Units authorized per 1,000 households25.7
Multifamily is 45.7 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Mecklenburg County
SBA loans in Mecklenburg County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded1,533
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.04 bn
- Average 7(a) approval$679,990
- Median 7(a) approval$325,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,850,800
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)20,046
- Jobs per approval13.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active133
- Distinct industries receiving approvals318
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer13.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms204
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1,187
- Franchise loans349
- Franchise share of approvals22.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (66)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (133)
- 504 approvals recorded303
- 504 gross approval dollars$280.2 m
- Average 504 approval$924,772
- Median 504 approval$596,000
- Distinct CDCs active8
- 504 jobs per approval9.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.6
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (215)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$1.32 bn
The average approval of $679,990 sits well above the median of $325,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 13.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Mecklenburg County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Mecklenburg County
Do SBA loans in Mecklenburg County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded270
- Paid in full249
- Charged off21
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans7.8 percent
- Status: Paid in full249
- Status: Exempt from disclosure960
- Status: Cancelled202
- Status: Charged off21
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed101
Of the 270 loans that have reached a final outcome, 7.8 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Mecklenburg County
SBA lending by place in Mecklenburg County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending18
- Charlotte, approvals1,213
- Huntersville, approvals91
- Cornelius, approvals84
- Matthews, approvals48
- Pineville, approvals38
- Mint Hill, approvals25
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 1,213 | $819,759,200 |
| Huntersville | 91 | $56,308,900 |
| Cornelius | 84 | $56,759,400 |
| Matthews | 48 | $37,392,600 |
| Pineville | 38 | $36,026,700 |
| Mint Hill | 25 | $11,286,300 |
| Davidson | 20 | $13,427,900 |
| Cherryville | 2 | $1,192,000 |
| 10 other borrower cities | 12 | $10,271,300 |
Charlotte accounts for 1,213 approvals against 91 in Huntersville. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Mecklenburg County
How large is Mecklenburg County?
- Land area524 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties38th of 100
- Width, east to west28.7 mi
- Height, north to south34.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land2,204
- Establishments per square mile69.60
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Mecklenburg County
Flood risk in Mecklenburg County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Mecklenburg County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 370158
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 5
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book8
- Of those, participating in the NFIP8
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 2
- Communities carrying a CRS class4
- Radon levels in Mecklenburg County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Mecklenburg County (community 370158), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 5, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Mecklenburg County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 2, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Mecklenburg County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Mecklenburg County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20241,154,681
- Households466,527
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$87,005
- Median age35.5
Common questions
Mecklenburg County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 1,206,285 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 1,154,681, in 466,527 households, ranking 2nd of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Mecklenburg County's population growing?
The population has grown 8.14 percent since the 2020 census base of 1,115,535, to 1,206,285 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 15,077 births against 7,103 deaths, with net migration of 22,081. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Mecklenburg County?
$87,005. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $406,800, which is 4.7 times income, and median gross rent is $1,627 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Mecklenburg County?
36,472 establishments, employing 732,418 people with an annual payroll of $57.25 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Mecklenburg County?
Finance and insurance is the largest private sector at 87,476 jobs, 11.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 788,436 jobs at an average annual pay of $88,111, or $1,694 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Mecklenburg County?
1,533 7(a) approvals totaling $1.04 bn since FY2020, across 133 lenders, with a median approval of $325,000, plus 303 504 approvals worth $280.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Mecklenburg County get paid back?
Of the 270 loans that have reached a final outcome, 249 were paid in full and 21 charged off, a charge-off rate of 7.8 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Mecklenburg County?
11,969 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.63 bn. Multifamily was 45.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Mecklenburg County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Mecklenburg County come from?
The largest single origin is Cabarrus County, with 2,173 households. Arriving households report an average income of $86,702 against $93,307 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Mecklenburg County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Mecklenburg County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Mecklenburg County
Cities and places in Mecklenburg.
8 Census places lie wholly or partly in Mecklenburg County. All 8 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | city | 903,844 | 1,213 | Wholly in this county |
| Huntersville | town | 63,969 | 91 | Wholly in this county |
| Cornelius | town | 32,783 | 84 | Wholly in this county |
| Matthews | town | 30,577 | 48 | Wholly in this county |
| Mint Hill | town | 27,556 | 25 | Wholly in this county |
| Stallings | town | 16,886 | None recorded | 3.1 percent here, 96.9 percent Union County |
| Davidson | town | 15,660 | 20 | 95.0 percent here, 5.0 percent Iredell County |
| Pineville | town | 11,055 | 38 | Wholly in this county |
A further 14 of the county's 1,533 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Mecklenburg County, the largest being Cherryville (2), Concord (2), Clinton (2). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.