Living In Charlotte, NC Pros and Cons

Wondering what it’s like living in Charlotte NC? You’re in the right place.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

If you’re moving to this charming, culturally diverse city, you might be asking that same question. Knowing about a city before you move there can help you make some critical decisions. That includes whether to move there or not, which neighborhood to choose, whether to buy or rent, etc.

These are big, life-changing decisions, no doubt, so the more info you have, the better. To help, we put together this list of the Biggest Pros and Cons of Living in Charlotte, NC, just for you! (You’re welcome!) In it, you’ll learn what’s great about our city, and the things that could use some improvement. (Hint; the pro list is longer than the con list.) If that sounds like a solid plan of action, read on! The good, bad, and excellent points about living in Charlotte, NC, are coming right up!

PRO: One of the Top 50 Cities in the U.S.

To be one of the best cities in a particular state is always a source of pride. One of the best cities in America, though, takes that pride to another level entirely. Charlotte makes it to that level as the 34th Best City to Live in America! Our grade on Niche, the city ranking website, is a solid A which, we like to think, stands for Awesome. Living in Charlotte, for many, is close to perfection. Excellent schools, weather, and diversity are part of why, as are the cost of living and housing. Indeed, Charlotte gets a B or higher on every index except one. (We’ll talk about it next.) That’s excellent and, of all the pros and cons of living in Charlotte, NC, it is one of our biggest pros!

CON: Crime and Safety Living in Charlotte

No city is perfect, unfortunately, and like many others, Charlotte does have a crime problem. It’s not a huge crime problem like others, thank goodness, but it’s still a source of concern. Our city gets a rating of 485/100 for assaults, for example, compared to the national average of 283/100. That’s 200% higher; fail in the safety department if there ever was one. Of course, like most cities, crime is (both fortunately and unfortunately) relegated to the worst neighborhoods. Overall, though, living in Charlotte is safe. The vast majority of our communities and suburbs are, for the most part, quiet and tranquil. And, thankfully, Charlotte’s local government is making strides towards lowering crime rates and increasing public pride.

CON: Charlotte Has a Respiratory Problem

In the last few decades, awareness of air quality has risen significantly. (That’s why cars are so much better today at polluting less.) In Charlotte, we’ve unfortunately ranked the #10 Worst City for Respiratory Infections. What this means, in layperson’s terms, is that the air here can sometimes be unhealthy. It’s not a huge problem, but if you have respiratory issues, it might be problematic.

PRO: Cost of Living in Charlotte, NC

While Charlotte won’t win any awards for ‘cheapest American city,’ our cost of living is affordable. We get a score of 98.9/100, just under the national average. Compare that to New York at 187/100 or San Diego at 160/100, and you see that Charlotte isn’t bad at all. Here are the numbers for the rest of the cost of living criteria:

• Groceries- 99/100
• Healthcare- 100/100
• Utilities- 98/100
• Transportation- 98/100
• Miscellaneous- 99/100
• Median Home Cost- $229,000 (Just under the national average of $231,000.)

PRO: The Weather in Charlotte is Comfortable

Like some cities in the southeast, Charlotte has more or less four seasons. Unlike the northeast, however, winters here are shorter, with longer spring and fall seasons. BestPlaces.com rates Charlotte at a 7.5 out of 10 for weather, which is slightly above the national average of 7/10. We have four full months of very comfortable temperatures, with another six of comfortable and two that are cold. Speaking of cold, Charlotte gets very little snow, less than 2 inches a year. That’s good news for many who consider snow to be a 4-letter word. Summer can get scorching in this southern city, though, but only for about two months, July and August. Charlotte is a great choice if you like primarily comfortable weather year-round with a small-ish change of seasons.

CON: The Unemployment Rate is High

While not the biggest con, one should note that Charlott has a higher than average unemployment rate. At 4.2%, compared to the national average of 3.7%, it’s not awful. Plus, job growth has been positive for the last couple of years and increased by 2.7% last year. It’s not a massive con of all the pros and cons of living in Charlotte, NC, to be sure. Then again, if you’re in the job market, it could be slightly problematic.

PRO: Living in Charlotte is Good for Families

With a median age of 34, Charlotte is younger than the national average at 37.4 years. That means we have a lot of young families here. The good news is that, for families, Charlotte gets an A-. There are excellent schools in Charlotte, which is a huge plus. There are also many opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors, a family bond-builder if there ever was one. In short, one of the big pros of Charlotte, NC, is that families thrive here. By the way, many families here rent a Charlotte, NC storage unit to store their extra stuff. Young families, entrepreneurs, and small business owners especially. It’s an easy way to create extra space at home or the office.

And there they are, the biggest pros and cons of living in Charlotte, NC. Did any of them surprise you or help you make up your mind? We hope so, and we hope you decide to make Charlotte your new home. We’re SecurCare, the self-storage experts in the southeast. If you need a Charlotte storage unit when you arrive, we can help! Our Charlotte, NC storage units are clean, safe, and affordable. If you have questions, you can chat with a friendly manager online! Until then, we wish you much joy and happiness in your new Charlotte home!

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