US Census Data by County
The information below is under review by CRTPO staff. Please use the US Census data above until the information below has been updated.
Population | Income | Educational Attainment | Languages Spoken | Access to Personal Vehicles
One of the first steps in appropriately serving residents of the CRTPO planning area is to understand who our residents are. The Charlotte metro region’s varying demographics and socio-economic characteristics create a unique profile which can impact transportation needs, and how those needs are communicated and addressed.
The following demographic profile describes the current residents and workers of the Charlotte region*, and will continue to evolve over time, as will the region’s population. Demographic metrics below are taken from the U.S. Census American Community Survey, and rely on 2024 five-year estimates, as the most current source of data.
Many of the communities and populations described in this demographic profile are described in further detail and represented geographically at the more precise U.S. Census Tract level, as a component of CRTPO’s Environmental Justice – Degree of Impact (EJ-DOI) methodology. Please reference the EJ- DOI webpage for more information on identified Environmental Justice communities within the CRTPO planning area: EJ – Degree of Impact.
*For the purposes of this profile, the entirety of Union County is profiled, as the Union County population outside of the CRTPO planning boundary is minimal and typically does not substantially alter the County’s aggregate demographics.
Population
The Census-estimated 2024 population of Iredell, Mecklenburg, and Union Counties totaled 1,676,032 people. Mecklenburg County accounted for 72% of that population with 1,206,285 residents. Union and Iredell Counties accounted for 15.7% (263,386 residents) and 12.3% (206,361 residents) of the region’s population, respectively. This indicates that while the majority of the region is urban or suburban in character, significant populations continue to reside in the more rural portions of the planning area.
The table below summarizes common male/female and age group characteristics of the CRTPO population.
| Population | Iredell County | Mecklenburg County | Union County |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Total Population | 206,361 | 1,206,285 | 263,386 |
| 2024 Population – Male | 101,630 | 582,605 | 130,442 |
| 2024 Population – Female | 104,731 | 623,680 | 132,944 |
| Under 5 Years Old* | 11,081 | 76,774 | 14,216 |
| Under 5 Years Old* | 5.4% | 6.4% | 5.4% |
| Under 18 Years Old | 44,842 | 269,801 | 65,770 |
| Under 18 Years Old | 21.7% | 22.4% | 25.0% |
| 18 to 64 Years Old | 125,134 | 786,106 | 160,559 |
| 18 to 64 Years Old | 60.6% | 65.2% | 61.0% |
| 65 Years and Over | 36,385 | 150,378 | 37,057 |
| 65 Years and Over | 17.6% | 12.5% | 14.1% |
Population percentage “Under 5 Years Old” is included in population percentage “Under 18 Years Old”
US Census 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates
Income
The 2024 Five-Year Census estimates calculated 466,527 households in Mecklenburg County, 84,237 households in Union County, and 76,344 households in Iredell County. For the five income ranges between $0 and $49,999 Iredell, Mecklenburg, then Union County have the highest, mid-level, and lowest percentages of their own households in each range, respectively. At the $50,000 range, this trend begins to reverse, and ultimately at the higher income ranges, Union County has the highest percentage of its own households, Mecklenburg the middle, and Iredell County has the lowest percentage. It is noteworthy that despite having the lion’s share of employers and the uptown Charlotte central business district, among other business districts, Mecklenburg County had both the second largest median income and mean (average) income among the three counties at $87,005. Union County’s median income was $102,900 and a significant share of Union County households fall within the upper income ranges.
The table below lists the income distribution among CRTPO households.
| Income Distribution | Iredell County | Mecklenburg County | Union County |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Total Households | 76,344 | 466,527 | 84,237 |
| Less than $10,000 | 3.9% | 4.2% | 3.0% |
| $10,000 to $14,999 | 2.7% | 2.3% | 1.6% |
| $15,000 to $$24,999 | 6.0% | 4.8% | 4.2% |
| $25,000 to $29,999 | 6.1% | 5.4% | 5.0% |
| $35,000 to $39,999 | 11.1% | 10.5% | 8.1% |
| $50,000 to $59,999 | 16.4% | 16.2% | 13.1% |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 14.4% | 12.7% | 13.1% |
| $100,000 to $124,999 | 18.3% | 17.4% | 20.9% |
| $150,000 to $199,999 | 8.8% | 10.1% | 12.0% |
| $200,000 or more | 12.4% | 16.3% | 19.1% |
| Median Income | $81,419 | $87,005 | $102,900 |
US Census 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates
Educational Attainment
Much is made of the educational attainment of a city or region’s workforce being a major attractor for large-scale employers. The CRTPO region is home to many post-secondary schools. Among them are University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Davidson College, Queens University, Johnson C. Smith University, Central Piedmont Community College, Johnson & Wales University, Wingate University (Union County), and Mitchell Community College (Iredell County).
For the purposes of studying working age adults who have primarily completed their education, Iredell County is estimated to have 148,652 residents aged 18 years and over, Mecklenburg estimated to have 870,043, and Union County estimated to 181,266.
The table below lists the educational attainment of CRTPO’s 18-and-over population.
| Educational Attainment | Iredell County | Mecklenburg County | Union County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Population | 206,361 | 1,206,285 | 263,386 |
| 18 to 24 years | 15,511 | 105,974 | 23,798 |
| Less than high school graduate | 1,661 | 13,244 | 3,395 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 7,095 | 32,088 | 9,346 |
| Some college or Associate’s degree | 4,911 | 40,502 | 8,498 |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | 1,844 | 20,140 | 2,559 |
| 25 years and over | 137,284 | 784,974 | 162,928 |
| Less than 9th grade | 4,534 | 38,238 | 6,491 |
| 9th to 12th grade, no diploma | 7,073 | 34,321 | 8,319 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 37,170 | 129,394 | 36,585 |
| Some college, no degree | 27,352 | 133,438 | 30,340 |
| Associate’s degree | 14,328 | 63,204 | 15,219 |
| Bachelor’s degree | 31,532 | 63,204 | 42,920 |
| Graduate or professional degree | 15,295 | 140,139 | 23,054 |
US Census 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates
Languages Spoken
Communication amongst different language-speakers can be a challenge within any planning area. CRTPO is home to eight languages spoken prominently, as identified among CRTPO’s Limited English Proficiency (LEP) environmental justice community.
Among CRTPO planning area households, Spanish is the most commonly spoken non-English language. It is noteworthy that in Mecklenburg County, there are almost as many Asian & Pacific Island language households as those that are primarily Spanish-speaking (difference of 7.5%).
When viewing the table below, it should be noted that households which speak a particular language may in fact speak more than one non-English language, in addition to, or in place of English.
| Household Language | Iredell County | Mecklenburg County | Union County |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Total Households | 76,344 | 466,527 | 84,237 |
| Limited English-speaking (LEP) Households | 1,394 | 23,999 | 1,875 |
| Spanish | 842 | 15,442 | 1,366 |
| % LEP Households | 16.30% | 30.20% | 15.80% |
| Other Indo-European Languages | 196 | 3,423 | 296 |
| % LEP Households | 10.60% | 16.10% | 7.30% |
| Asian & Pacific Island Languages | 213 | 3,881 | 191 |
| % LEP Households | 14.30% | 22.70% | 8.60% |
| Other Languages | 143 | 1,253 | 22 |
| % LEP Households | 45.8%* | 18.30% | 3.70% |
US Census 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates
*US Census reports an unusually high margin of error (34.3%)
Access to Personal Vehicles
Access to all modes of transportation across the CRTPO planning area is critical for residents and visitors. Of the 627,108 households in the three-county region, most have access to at least one personal vehicle. Two-car households are the most common with 36.8%, 32.2%, and 32.5% of households in Iredell, Mecklenburg, and Union Counties, respectively, having access. Regionally, 5.1% of households – meaning roughly 32,000 households, 27,225 of which are in Mecklenburg County – have access to no vehicle.
The table below summarizes the level access to personal vehicles for CRTPO households.
| Personal Vehicles | Iredell County | Mecklenburg County | Union County |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Total Households | 76,344 | 466,527 | 84,237 |
| No vehicle available | 2,790 | 27,225 | 1,986 |
| % Households | 3.7% | 5.8% | 2.4% |
| 1 vehicle available | 18,555 | 157,589 | 14,125 |
| % Households | 24.3% | 33.8% | 16.8% |
| 2 vehicles available | 28,109 | 150,216 | 27,390 |
| % Households | 36.8% | 32.2% | 32.5% |
| 3 vehicles available | 12,093 | 69,581 | 15,975 |
| % Households | 15.8% | 14.9% | 19.0% |
| 4 vehicles available | 17,586 | 89,141 | 26,747 |
| % Households | 23.0% | 19.1% | 31.8% |
US Census 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates