Can you afford to live in Charlotte?

Median household income, home values and rent in Charlotte, NC — how they've changed since 2015 and how much of a typical paycheck housing takes compared with the rest of the country.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

This story was assembled using AI and public data sources.

What it costs to live in Charlotte.

Median household income: $78,438 — +46.2% since 2015 (not adjusted for inflation)

Median gross rent: $1,504/mo — +62.4% since 2015

Median home value, 2015 to 2023

• 2015: 172000
• 2023: 351500

Median household income

• Charlotte: 78438
• Mecklenburg County: 83765
• NC: 69904
• U.S.: 78538

Median gross rent

• Charlotte: 1504
• Mecklenburg County: 1521
• NC: 1162
• U.S.: 1348

Share of income a typical renter spends on rent: 29.5% — U.S.: 30.2%

What it means

Households here earn about what households nationally earn ($78,438 versus $78,538).

The typical renter here spends 29.5% of household income on rent, below the 30% cost-burden line.

Since 2015, rent has risen faster than income here (+62.4% versus +46.2%), before adjusting for inflation.