Skip to Main Content

2018 Best Suburbs to Live in the Charlotte AreaAbout this List

Explore the best suburbs to live in the U.S. based on crime, public schools, cost of living, job opportunities, and local amenities. Ranking based on data from the U.S. Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, and other sources. Read more on how this ranking was calculated.

1 – 25 of 96
Best Places to Live
96 results

Economy

Health & Outdoors

  1. Davidson

    • Suburb of Charlotte, NC
    • 20
    1 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: I've lived in Davidson for 10 years and the Lake Norman area for 10 before that. This is by far the best place to live in the Charlotte area, especially for families. It's like a Norman Rockwell painting come to life with the even better addition of a top-tier University at its center.
    Read 20 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • 12,076 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  2. Tega Cay

    • Suburb in South Carolina
    • 20
    2 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: Tega Cay is a growing suburb, definitely. It has its ups and downs, being a busy area in terms of traffic as well as a lack of diversity. The area is made up of mostly white, middle-class families. On a positive note, it is full of great public schools and is generally safe and good for families. It is in a good location for work as it is close to the rest of Fort Mill as well as the Charlotte area.
    Read 20 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 9,026 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  3. Marvin

    • Suburb of Charlotte, NC
    • 5
    3 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: I was born and raised in Marvin, North Carolina. It's a very rich community with war history. However, the thing I don't really like is that it is in the middle of nowhere. There isn't much to do, and you always have to drive somewhere to do something. It's a good neighborhood to raise a family in, but not good for doing fun stuff with said family.
    Read 5 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • 6,056 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  5. Cornelius

    • Suburb of Charlotte, NC
    • 24
    4 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: Cornelius is a wonderful little town outside of Charlotte! With Lake Norman, Uptown, and other fun activities just a short drive away, it is the perfect place for families, young professionals, or retirees.
    Read 24 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • 27,426 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  6. Matthews

    • Suburb of Charlotte, NC
    • 110
    5 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: Down one road is a shopping center. Down another are delicious restaurants. Another is a park. The things to do in Matthews are endless! The Town of Matthews functions to make its people happy, and that is what makes the bond between citizens in our community so strong. Between local bands, solo musicians, Food truck Fridays, and community parades, you cannot go wrong with living in Matthews.
    Read 110 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • 30,054 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  7. Huntersville

    • Suburb of Charlotte, NC
    • 159
    6 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: Huntersville offers a quality of life unmatched in the Charlotte Metro. The town retains a small-town feel with friendly people and a compact downtown. There are plenty of recreational opportunities with multiple golf courses, several parks and close proximity to Lake Norman. This is a family friendly community with festivals for all ages occurring just about every month of the year. There is a variety of housing types in neighborhoods that range from rural to downright urban. Huntersville really punches above its weight with shopping and dining options that most associate with a big city. With Charlotte just a few minutes away, what's not to like about Huntersville!
    Read 159 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • B+
      Public Schools
    • 51,701 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  10. Waxhaw

    • Suburb of Charlotte, NC
    • 50
    7 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: Waxhaw is a nice suburban area with many people and subdivisions to live in. There's many different schools within the area, however the redistricting can seriously affect which school your child may go to. Though all the schools provide a good education, school spirit and finance are present in schools such as Marvin Ridge High School and Cuthbertson High School rather than older schools such as Parkwood High School. As a teen, I can vouche for the fact that there are very few activities to do that don't involve driving somewhere or going to Charlotte (which is 45 minutes away). However, for those who enjoy the country/suburban life, this place is perfect. Another thing is that the area is pretty conservative and traditional, meaning some things are more taboo than if one were to go to Charlotte.
    Read 50 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • 12,398 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  11. Fort Mill

    • Suburb in South Carolina
    • 77
    8 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: Fort Mill is a nice southern town. It is very pretty and the weather is lovely. The FM natives are friendly and hospitable. There are so many positives to living here. The negatives are: rapid growth, there are thousands of northerners moving here and thousands of new homes going up. We are missing many of our beautiful trees now. The traffic lights are not timed, hopefully this will change in the following years. It’s not a big deal until rush hour comes. Finally, our schools are very highly ranked. I can tell you that your kids will get a solid education here. Unfortunately, our public schools don’t care about the mental health of kids and will shove them into honors and AP classes (because they get more money) until the stresses of life are just too much to handle and the teenager reaches their breaking point. I know the last part of my review wasn’t happy, but if you are planning to move here I want you to be able to make the most informed decision possible. Good luck!
    Read 77 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 13,181 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  12. Weddington

    • Suburb of Charlotte, NC
    • 33
    9 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: Weddington is a great community of active residents. The schools are excellent and provide many enrichment opportunities for students. Town zoning requires 1 acre lots so no overcrowded neighborhoods like surrounding towns. The town has a nice country feel with a number lakes throughout. It’s about as far south you’d want to go if commute to Charlotte. With new shopping and restaurant areas built in 2017, there are many places to go out to dinner or drinks.
    Read 33 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • 10,254 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  14. Harrisburg

    • Suburb of Charlotte, NC
    • 32
    10 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: I love Harrisburg, it's such a cute and quint place to live. It's on the road of expansion now, and if I could change anything, I would say the traffic in the intersection on Highway 49 and Veteran's Bridge. It's nearly impossible to drive in that area from like 3:30-6:00. It's also a bit dangerous too. Since most of the left turning lanes don't get green lights for very long, people will take any small chance they get to turn and it's so dangerous.
    Some places also need extra entrances so that it doesn't get super busy. They did that at the high school, and it's helped so much.
    I'm very excited for the Chick Fil A that's in the process of being built right now. I just hope it's built and opened by the time I graduate.
    Read 32 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • 14,500 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  15. Indian Trail

    • Suburb of Charlotte, NC
    • 98
    11 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: I have lived directly in Indian Trail for 4 years, and near the area for my whole life. I think that Indian Trail, especially the Sun Valley area, has become much more family-friendly and diverse. There are many restaurants and areas to spend time with friends and family. There are many parks that are accessible to all and allow children to play outside. Areas for community sports are available for children as well. I would like to see more shops or more indoor activities that would be more geared towards teenagers, as many places are restaurants or fast food.
    Read 98 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • 36,357 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  16. Stallings

    • Suburb of Charlotte, NC
    • 25
    12 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Niche User: My little suburb of Charlotte is absolutely the perfect place to grow up. The people are kind and caring, and the house is close enough to the city that entertainment is never hard to come by. At the same time, it's far enough away from the city that crime isn't something to worry about, and it's quiet at night. While I want to move somewhere with a bit more energy as I enter my professional life, I would definitely recommend Matthews as a place to grow up.
    Read 25 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • 14,759 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  19. Lake Wylie

    • Suburb in South Carolina
    • 33
    13 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: Overall, Lake Wylie is a very nice town. It has a very friendly and community feel. The schools are invested into highly, which creates a strong academic program for your children. In addition, the town has many distinguishing features that attract people. First, we have many options for food. We have many fast food places, and many sit-down options for food. The commercial businesses that we have are complemented by the mom and pop businesses. We also have forms of entertainment in the town. For example, we have a bowling alley, that also houses a laser tag arena. All in all, the town is very good, and I am proud to have lived in the area for over 10 years. All of the change that I have seen, has been nothing but beneficial and the town is getting better and better.
    Read 33 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • 11,472 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  20. India Hook

    • Suburb in South Carolina
    • 2
    14 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Niche User: I am glad that their are police at the school to make everyone feel better and protective because of the police
    Read 2 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • 4,192 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  21. Mint Hill

    • Suburb of Charlotte, NC
    • 49
    15 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: It's awesome! It is continuing to grow and be a bigger part of Charlotte, NC. Many new places are coming up around the area and making it more and more cultural friendly. It used to be more geriatric, but is coming up with more and more families. Plenty of parks, restaurants, places to go.
    Read 49 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • B+
      Public Schools
    • 25,024 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  22. Pineville

    • Suburb of Charlotte, NC
    • 11
    16 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: I absolutely enjoy Pineville, it's nice and cozy. Although it isn't too big, it has so much to offer as far as different restaurants and local community activities. I love going down the to park during the summertime where the rec center plans movie nights and even festivals! This small suburb gives you the small community feel but with big city amenities.
    Read 11 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • 8,244 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  23. Wesley Chapel

    • Suburb of Charlotte, NC
    • 25
    17 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: I moved to Wesley Chapel in 2004 from a town in New Jersey. I consider it my home town for all intents and purposes, and I feel proud in saying so. Wesley Chapel fostered me from the time I was a first grader to the time I was a senior in high school. The local elementary school was filled with teachers who supported their students and were truly passionate about what they were doing. As I made my way into high school, that same mentality prevailed. There is a large shopping center in the middle of the town that hosts plenty of shops and restaurants, and the housing developments in the area are great. Proud to say I was able to grow up here.
    Read 25 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • 8,217 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  26. Mooresville

    • Suburb of Charlotte, NC
    • 116
    18 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: Living in Mooresville is fantastic! The only
     complaints I have is the amount of traffic and too many chain restaurants. Mooresville needs something to stand out, but with a lot of tourists being Race City USA it is better market with chains. Traffic is unavoidable because everyone wants to move here!
    Read 116 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • 35,387 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  27. Lake Park

    • Suburb of Charlotte, NC
    • 3
    19 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: Lake Park is one of the nicer neighborhoods in the area. It is really pretty and walking friendly. There is a tennis court, basketball court, a pool (with a swim team), parks, churches, even a school and day care. There are festivals throughout the year, and they constantly have smaller events sprinkled throughout the year. There are a lot of families living here, so a lot of kids.
    Read 3 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • 3,678 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  28. Concord

    • Town in North Carolina
    • 177
    20 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: Concord, NC is an average-sized town that has quite a few attractions that visitors can enjoy. The Concord Mills mall houses many different shops that the entire family can enjoy browsing, a delicious food court, a go cart track, and an IMAX movie theatre. A short drive from there will get you the Charlotte Motor Speedway where thousands come to watch NASCAR racing, fireworks, and much more! For those who like a quiet, laid-back experience, Downtown Concord has a lovely, little row of small shops and restaurants to enjoy. The Depot, close to Downtown, is a huge antique mall housed in an old mill where you can find all sorts of items from years gone by.

    While it has a few attractions, Concord is not usually the reason most people come to the area. Charlotte, NC is just a short drive away, so most people prefer to travel there for entertainment. Also, the traffic in Concord can be rather hectic, so use caution when driving here.
    Read 177 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • B+
      Public Schools
    • 85,753 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  29. Belmont

    • Suburb of Charlotte, NC
    • 30
    21 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: Belmont is a cute little town. Family-friendly, shops, and more! Parks are clean and pet-friendly, too.
    Read 30 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • B
      Public Schools
    • 10,494 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  30. Clover

    • Town in South Carolina
    • 41
    22 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: I have moved from Hopkinsville, KY to Clover, SC. At first, it was hard to adjust especially being a new mom and barely anyone I know here except for my darling husband. I have to say, I am a huge Gilmore Girls fan so anyone who is a fan strives to find a town such as Stars Hollow; well, Clover is my Stars Hollow. It has such an amazing feeling all throughout the seasons and a welcoming feel that will embrace you deeply! I love it here and would never want to live anywhere else!
    Read 41 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • 5,593 Population
    View Nearby Homes
  31. Review Your Area

  32. Wingate

    • Suburb of Charlotte, NC
    • 9
    23 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: The night life! Add more restaurants and stores. Seems that there are not really a lot of these and one has to go to the next city to enjoy and of these. I really think that if we add more places the tiny town of Wingate will grow.
    Read 9 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • B
      Public Schools
    • 3,798 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  33. Westport

    • Suburb of Charlotte, NC
    • 8
    24 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Niche User: Our neighborhood works diligently with the police to try and keep the area safe. We have police officers who patrol the community every couple of hours and watch closely when the children get on and off the bus. They are always around to help. Also, as neighbors, we all look out for each other and help each other out whenever we can.
    Read 8 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • 3,923 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  34. Cramerton

    • Suburb of Charlotte, NC
    • 7
    25 Best Suburbs to Live in Charlotte Area

    Current Resident: Just 20 minutes from either the coty of Gastonia, or the Queen city, this small Charlotte subarb is a close community offering plenty of opportunities to stay active. You simply have to visit Goat Island Park.
    Read 7 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • B
      Public Schools
    • 4,292 Population
    View Nearby Homes
  • 1 of 4