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
Thinking about building your dream home? Want to subdivide and sell 4 lots separately? Live in this adorable home and sell the remaining lots? Live in this gem while you are building your forever home? Surrounded by million + dollar homes on smaller lots - Just over 5 acres that can easily be subdivided to accommodate any of your goals - Location... location... location - Right in the heart of Weddington and surrounded by arguably some of the best schools in the state - Fully updated 2 bedroom/2 bathroom home is currently rented (lease ends 9/2026) so the property is making money for you while you are working out your dream plans - Storage shed and fencing makes a great set up for storage while developing - Hardwood floors throughout and wood burning fireplace - Primary suite with private en-suite & walk in closet - Generous secondary bedroom - Large utility/laundry room offers great storage - Well laid out floorplan is a wonderful place to call home surrounded by 5 acres to enjoy some breathing room - Minutes to shopping / dining and entertainment make this the perfect location - Level lot is perfect to enjoy or develop in the future - Soil scientist has already evaluated the lot and offered perk suggestions for dividing the property - Call anytime for questions
| MLS#: | 4353965 |
| Price: | $1,300,000 |
| Square Footage: | 1362 |
| Bedrooms: | 2 |
| Bathrooms: | 2 |
| Acreage: | 5.03 |
| Year Built: | 1960 |
| Type: | Single Family Residence |
| Listing courtesy of: | Coldwell Banker Realty - wdickinson@cbcarolinas.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
Thinking about building your dream home? Want to subdivide and sell 4 lots separately? Live in this adorable home and sell the remaining lots? Live in this gem while you are building your forever home? Surrounded by million + dollar homes on smaller lots - Just over 5 acres that can easily be subdivided to accommodate any of your goals - Location... location... location - Right in the heart of Weddington and surrounded by arguably some of the best schools in the state - Fully updated 2 bedroom/2 bathroom home is currently rented (lease ends 9/2026) so the property is making money for you while you are working out your dream plans - Storage shed and fencing makes a great set up for storage while developing - Hardwood floors throughout and wood burning fireplace - Primary suite with private en-suite & walk in closet - Generous secondary bedroom - Large utility/laundry room offers great storage - Well laid out floorplan is a wonderful place to call home surrounded by 5 acres to enjoy some breathing room - Minutes to shopping / dining and entertainment make this the perfect location - Level lot is perfect to enjoy or develop in the future - Soil scientist has already evaluated the lot and offered perk suggestions for dividing the property - Call anytime for questions
| MLS#: | 4353965 |
| Price: | $1,300,000 |
| Square Footage: | 1362 |
| Bedrooms: | 2 |
| Bathrooms: | 2 |
| Acreage: | 5.03 |
| Year Built: | 1960 |
| Type: | Single Family Residence |
| Listing courtesy of: | Coldwell Banker Realty - wdickinson@cbcarolinas.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
