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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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COUNTYThriving

Mecklenburg County, NC

Thriving overall. GDP / Output is the clearest support signal, while jobs needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score75out of 100
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88
68
83
69
77

Population

1,154,681

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+7.0% YoY

88

$186.1B

Output changed +7.0% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth6.2%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

68

3.6%

Unemployment is 3.6% for April 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg3.7%
U.S. avg4.3%

Population

+5.4% 5-year

83

1,154,681

Population moved +5.4% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population10,730,404
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

69

22.4%

Median rent consumes 22.4% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$1.2K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$5.2K per resident

77

$5.8B

$5.8B in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$129.4B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$5.8B

$5.2K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$4.1B
2. Department of Veterans Affairs$628.8M
3. Department of Energy$262.6M

Top recipients

Dollars
1. BURLINGTON INDUSTRIES LLC$141.0M
2. INLIVIAN$129.7M
3. CIRBA SOLUTIONS, LLC$123.0M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

22.4%

of median income

1BR estimate$1,334
2BR estimate$1,757
Median income$87,005
Median home value$406,800

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

1,154,681

Median age

35.5

Bachelor's degree+

49.2%

Poverty rate

10.4%

Labor force participation

72.0%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.9%

U.S. GDP YoY

+5.9%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

April 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-06-10

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

+1.1%

GDP CAGR

+7.9%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
20201,095,170
20211,100,984
20221,115,403
20231,130,906
20241,154,681
GDP (5 years)
2020$127.2B
2021$139.7B
2022$156.3B
2023$174.0B
2024$186.1B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

20241,154,681
20251,164,112 *
20261,179,006 *

R² = 95.6% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$186.1B
2025$202.3B *
2026$217.5B *

R² = 99.6% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$87,005/yr
Median rent$1,627/mo
Rent share of income22.4%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$24,684/yr
Mortgage share of income28.4%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate3.6%
State avg3.7%
U.S. avg4.3%
Labor force participation72.0%
Poverty rate10.4%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. April 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$406,800
Median monthly rent$1,627
Price-to-rent ratio20.8x

High price-to-rent ratio — renting may be more economical than buying in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateStrong
Composite score79/100
Economic growth88/100
Labor market68/100
Population momentum83/100
Overall stability75/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

County

Part of

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

Nearby locations

Charlotte, NCMount Holly, NCMint Hill, NCPineville, NCHuntersville, NC