Choosing the right Charlotte suburb
Having lived in the big cities, I moved to Charlotte in 2006. I have had the experience of being in various sections of Charlotte, and I can honestly say all are great. For those looking to move to the Charlotte area from another state, or a big city, I can assure you that you will find what you are looking for here in Charlotte. I found a recent study that covered the top 10 suburbs to live in. I wasn’t surprised that 2 of them are Charlotte suburbs. The suburb study is based on criteria including cost of living, education, and amenities. At the top of the list is Westerville, OH, a suburb of Columbus, OH. The rest of the list is comprised of cities in states including Texas, California, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Tennessee:
1. Westerville, OH
2. Plano, TX
3. Georgetown, TX
4. Round Rock, TX
5. Cedar Park, TX
6. Cupertino, CA
7. Matthews, NC
8. Cornelius, NC
9. Newton, MA
10. Germantown, TN
The study is based off the top 75 suburbs connected to the largest 20 cities in the U.S.
- Amenities (shopping, dining, entertainment, etc.)
- Cost of living (percent above or below national average)
- Crime (percent above or below national average)
- Education (student to teacher ratio compared to national average)
- Employment (income and unemployment compared to national average)
From sources including the U.S. Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics—we were able to see how each city did in the individual criteria (on a scale of 1 to 75, with 1 being best) and also on average to give them an overall score.
DETAILS ON MATTHEWS and CORNELIUS
#7. Matthews, NC

Source: Wikipedia user Jon Platek
The first of two North Carolina suburbs (of Charlotte, NC) the top 10, Matthews, population 27,198, isn’t as safe as the cities we’ve talked about thus far. With 2,952 crimes per 100,000 residents, its crime rate is only 6.6 percent below the national average.
Thankfully for its residents, the city did better in other areas. One of them is cost of living, where it is 3.3 percent below the national average (and only .2 percent above the average for the rest of North Carolina). Median household income is also quite high at $70,742, which is 35.2 percent higher than the national average.
VIEW LISTINGS NOW IN MATTHEWS OR CREATE YOUR OWN CUSTOM SEARCH
Timeless architecture, exceptional craftsmanship and materials define this waterfront estate on Lake Norman. A Full Golf Membership at The Peninsula Club is available. The open floor plan unfolds lakeside, linking the interior to outdoor living spaces designed for every season. Step inside the two story living room with an oversized stone fireplace, walls of glass with views of Lake Norman, opening to the expansive areas for outdoor entertaining. The chef’s kitchen features a substantial island with leathered granite, a custom metal hood, full suite of Wolf & Sub-Zero appliances complemented by a walk-in pantry. The dining room and bar area has impeccable stone & reclaimed wood features, including custom built in cabinetry with ample storage, beverage coolers, and an ice machine. The lakeside main level primary suite offers a spa-inspired bathroom with a Victoria & Albert soaking tub, oversized dual entry shower, dual vanities, and generous closet spaces. The second suite upstairs includes an en-suite bath with dual vanities, walk in closet, fireplace, and a private lakeside balcony. Second level has two additional bedrooms, exercise/bonus room, laundry room, and walk in attic space. Outdoors, a heated saltwater pool and spa with waterfall - fire bowls anchor the setting. The covered terrace has an outdoor kitchen & bar, grilling stations, recessed infrared heaters, and a wood-burning stone fireplace. The lower lakeside terrace leads to the pier, a covered boat slip with a 10,000 lb boat lift and a second slip with a 30,000 lb boat lift, plus jet ski/pwc boat lift/docking station. Additional features include: circular driveway, custom millwork, main and second level laundry rooms, two oversized two-car garages with ample storage and work stations, lakeside stone retaining wall, whole-house generator and RTI home automation. Close proximity to The Peninsula Club, Safe Harbor Peninsula Yacht Club, Birkdale retail shopping, Davidson, and Uptown Charlotte.
| MLS#: | 4440170 |
| Price: | $6,350,000 |
| Square Footage: | 5594 |
| Bedrooms: | 4 |
| Bathrooms: | 3.2 |
| Acreage: | 0.65 |
| Year Built: | 2017 |
| Type: | Single Family Residence |
| Listing courtesy of: | Ivester Jackson Christie's - tracy@ivesterjackson.com |
Contact An Agent:
8. Cornelius, NC

Source: City of Cornelius, NC
With 24,866 residents, the second suburb of Charlotte to earn a spot in our top 10, Cornelius, is about on par with the national average in terms of crime; 314 crimes per 10,000 residents annually. Property crime in the city, however, is slightly higher than the national average.
Cornelius is the first city we’ve detailed where the cost of living is actually higher than the average than the rest of the country (by 2.5 percent). Its median household income of $81,532 is 55.8 percent higher than the American average and 85.3 percent more than the average for North Carolina. In terms of education, its class sizes are double the national average; it has a 32-to-1 student-teacher ratio compared to 16-to-1 for the U.S. average.
Cornelius, also has the drawn of Lake Norman. A beautiful lake, boasting million dollar lake homes, condos, and restaurants.
VIEW LISTINGS NOW IN CORNELIUS: OR CREATE YOUR OWN CUSTOM SEARCH
Timeless architecture, exceptional craftsmanship and materials define this waterfront estate on Lake Norman. A Full Golf Membership at The Peninsula Club is available. The open floor plan unfolds lakeside, linking the interior to outdoor living spaces designed for every season. Step inside the two story living room with an oversized stone fireplace, walls of glass with views of Lake Norman, opening to the expansive areas for outdoor entertaining. The chef’s kitchen features a substantial island with leathered granite, a custom metal hood, full suite of Wolf & Sub-Zero appliances complemented by a walk-in pantry. The dining room and bar area has impeccable stone & reclaimed wood features, including custom built in cabinetry with ample storage, beverage coolers, and an ice machine. The lakeside main level primary suite offers a spa-inspired bathroom with a Victoria & Albert soaking tub, oversized dual entry shower, dual vanities, and generous closet spaces. The second suite upstairs includes an en-suite bath with dual vanities, walk in closet, fireplace, and a private lakeside balcony. Second level has two additional bedrooms, exercise/bonus room, laundry room, and walk in attic space. Outdoors, a heated saltwater pool and spa with waterfall - fire bowls anchor the setting. The covered terrace has an outdoor kitchen & bar, grilling stations, recessed infrared heaters, and a wood-burning stone fireplace. The lower lakeside terrace leads to the pier, a covered boat slip with a 10,000 lb boat lift and a second slip with a 30,000 lb boat lift, plus jet ski/pwc boat lift/docking station. Additional features include: circular driveway, custom millwork, main and second level laundry rooms, two oversized two-car garages with ample storage and work stations, lakeside stone retaining wall, whole-house generator and RTI home automation. Close proximity to The Peninsula Club, Safe Harbor Peninsula Yacht Club, Birkdale retail shopping, Davidson, and Uptown Charlotte.
| MLS#: | 4440170 |
| Price: | $6,350,000 |
| Square Footage: | 5594 |
| Bedrooms: | 4 |
| Bathrooms: | 3.2 |
| Acreage: | 0.65 |
| Year Built: | 2017 |
| Type: | Single Family Residence |
| Listing courtesy of: | Ivester Jackson Christie's - tracy@ivesterjackson.com |
Contact An Agent:
Here are the details found on CORNELIUS and MATTHEWS.
CITY RANK AMENITIES EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT $LIVING CRIME RANK
If you would like to search homes in the Cornelius or Matthews area please visit www.daniellewasser.com for
my easy to use Real Estate search in the Charlotte area, and Charlotte suburbs.
Look forward to answering any of your questions!
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