Cost of living in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina has about 903,844 people. Typical rent is $1,612 a month, including utilities, and a typical household earns $82,068 a year. Both figures are Census 2020–2024 medians, not a listing or your pay. This site does not approve or deny benefits. A missing figure stays blank. We do not guess it.
Ranked #142 in North Carolina on the 2026 Most Affordable Towns Index.
Simple answer
Typical rent is $1,612 a month.
Charlotte is a city in North Carolina. That rent number includes utilities. A typical household earns $82,068 a year.
- People
- 903,844
- Census average, 2020–2024
- Typical rent
- $1,612
- Median gross rent, includes utilities
- Typical pay
- $82,068
- Median household income, yearly
- Typical home
- $385,700
- Median home value
- 2-bedroom fair rent
- $1,785
- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area
- Gas
- $4.035
- Lower Atlantic (PADD 1C), week of October 12, 2026
Charlotte, North Carolina has about 903,844 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.
A typical home is worth about $385,700.
HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Mecklenburg County is $1,785 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Charlotte. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.
In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, prices sit at 97.3 when the U.S. average is 100. That is a 2024 BEA index.
North Carolina taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 7.0% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Charlotte's exact store tax.
In July 2026, a typical North Carolina home paid 15.16¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Charlotte's bill.
EIA does not publish a North Carolina gasoline price. For the week of October 12, 2026, the Lower Atlantic (PADD 1C) all-grades price was $4.035 a gallon. At 12,000 miles a year and 25 mpg, the index counts that as $1,936.80 a year. Those miles are our standard, not a Census figure, and every town in North Carolina shares this price.
Among 407 places we list in North Carolina with a rent figure, 47 have higher typical rent than Charlotte.
Nearby places
- Pineville
Typical rent $1,552
Compare with Charlotte - Matthews
Typical rent $1,764
Compare with Charlotte - Mint Hill
Typical rent $1,528
Compare with Charlotte - Stallings
Typical rent $1,882
Compare with Charlotte - Belmont
Typical rent $1,365
Compare with Charlotte - Mount Holly
Typical rent $1,256
Compare with Charlotte - Harrisburg
Typical rent $2,640
Compare with Charlotte - Hemby Bridge
Typical rent $1,544
Compare with Charlotte
EBT nearby
USDA has a live map of stores that take SNAP. We did not copy that store list here. The downloadable file is a history file for 2005 through 2025, so the live map is the one to use.
Locator page updated 2026-09-11. Last checked 2026-10-16.
Food stamps (SNAP) tools in North Carolina
Bigger places in North Carolina
Census 2020-2024. HUD rents for October 2026–September 2027. BEA prices for 2024. Taxes as of January 1, 2026. Checked 2026-10-16. 15,000 places are in this guide.