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
Looking for a move-in ready, nearly new home minutes from Lake Norman? This beautiful Eric John custom home completed in 2023 offers the bespoke details of an in-town build, with a generous lot size & no HOA. All design details are on-point, from the 10" oak floors, oversized windows, and modern floorpan for today's lifestyle. Main level primary suite inhabits the entire left wing of the home & features dramatic vaulted ceiling with beams. Primary bath has soaking tub, oversized shower, dual vanities & boutique style closet with 1 of 3 laundry areas. The eat-in Chef's kitchen features two waterfall islands, SubZero refrigerator/freezer, Wolf dual ovens w/6 burners & griddle. The sun-filled kitchen has a walk-in pantry, plus a scullery leading to dining room/lounge. Stylish living room has beamed ceilings, and the entertainment wall is flanked with curved built-ins and centered on a linear gas FP. Steps away, the covered outdoor living space features an add'l gas FP, seating & eating area, leading to huge fenced in backyard. The keeping room off the kitchen has vaulted ceilings & could be the space that evolves with you from playroom, homeschool, den, mahjong/game room, or library/study. Main level Office has full bath with separate shower/powder area. Office could be used as an additional main floor bedroom by adding a door at the arch. The side entry to home has a drop zone, laundry closet, add'l full bath, and access to the 3 car garage. Back stairs lead to upper bonus room that could be a 5th BR, home gym, wellness center or additional recreation area. Front stairs lead to a loft with sunny landing area for play or study, and split plan with 3 Bedrooms (2 en suite), an add'l full bath, laundry room & media room. Today's buyers don't want a seldom-used theatre room in a dark basement, the 24'x21' Media/Rec room delivers, featuring lots of natural light for play time, AND blackout blinds & projector with wall mounted screen for movie time or sleepovers. Create your dream backyard on this fenced, flat nearly 1 acre property. Ready for a pool, pickle, sport court or both! Showings begin 2/5.
| MLS#: | 4342352 |
| Price: | $3,299,000 |
| Square Footage: | 5926 |
| Bedrooms: | 5 |
| Bathrooms: | 6 |
| Acreage: | 0.95 |
| Year Built: | 2023 |
| Type: | Single Family Residence |
| Virtual Tour: | Click here |
| Listing courtesy of: | Ivester Jackson Christie's - ColleenL@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
Looking for a move-in ready, nearly new home minutes from Lake Norman? This beautiful Eric John custom home completed in 2023 offers the bespoke details of an in-town build, with a generous lot size & no HOA. All design details are on-point, from the 10" oak floors, oversized windows, and modern floorpan for today's lifestyle. Main level primary suite inhabits the entire left wing of the home & features dramatic vaulted ceiling with beams. Primary bath has soaking tub, oversized shower, dual vanities & boutique style closet with 1 of 3 laundry areas. The eat-in Chef's kitchen features two waterfall islands, SubZero refrigerator/freezer, Wolf dual ovens w/6 burners & griddle. The sun-filled kitchen has a walk-in pantry, plus a scullery leading to dining room/lounge. Stylish living room has beamed ceilings, and the entertainment wall is flanked with curved built-ins and centered on a linear gas FP. Steps away, the covered outdoor living space features an add'l gas FP, seating & eating area, leading to huge fenced in backyard. The keeping room off the kitchen has vaulted ceilings & could be the space that evolves with you from playroom, homeschool, den, mahjong/game room, or library/study. Main level Office has full bath with separate shower/powder area. Office could be used as an additional main floor bedroom by adding a door at the arch. The side entry to home has a drop zone, laundry closet, add'l full bath, and access to the 3 car garage. Back stairs lead to upper bonus room that could be a 5th BR, home gym, wellness center or additional recreation area. Front stairs lead to a loft with sunny landing area for play or study, and split plan with 3 Bedrooms (2 en suite), an add'l full bath, laundry room & media room. Today's buyers don't want a seldom-used theatre room in a dark basement, the 24'x21' Media/Rec room delivers, featuring lots of natural light for play time, AND blackout blinds & projector with wall mounted screen for movie time or sleepovers. Create your dream backyard on this fenced, flat nearly 1 acre property. Ready for a pool, pickle, sport court or both! Showings begin 2/5.
| MLS#: | 4342352 |
| Price: | $3,299,000 |
| Square Footage: | 5926 |
| Bedrooms: | 5 |
| Bathrooms: | 6 |
| Acreage: | 0.95 |
| Year Built: | 2023 |
| Type: | Single Family Residence |
| Virtual Tour: | Click here |
| Listing courtesy of: | Ivester Jackson Christie's - ColleenL@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!
DANIELLE WASSER
704-604-2999
