Ramsey Creek, 2007
Cornelius’s story
133 years in pictures
Census counts: 833 in 1910, 31,412 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 2 maps from 1970 on.
- 1893Cornelius is settled
Photo: Property of PLCMC · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
35,094
2025 Census estimate · +11.7% since 2020
Typical home
$521K
+0.8% in a year
Household income
$114K
median
Median age
44.0
years
Jobs based here
12,995
Balanced
TownGrade
B+
#32 of 286 in NC
Is Cornelius a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Cornelius grades B+ overall, 32nd of 286 graded towns in North Carolina. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 97% of the country. The median household earns $114K. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $521K for a typical one and 6.3 times the Charlotte metro’s $83K median household income. 62% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Cornelius, above both the North Carolina town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). On walkability, just 30 of North Carolina’s 450 towns do better. Jetton Park, at 89 acres with 3.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
What makes Cornelius stand out
Where Cornelius beats most towns.
A growing town
Cornelius has grown 41% since 2010
24,866 counted in 2010 and 31,412 in 2020; an estimated 35,094 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 11.7% since 2020, after 26.3% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Cornelius grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Cornelius is from typical.
HealthNovant Health Huntersville Medical Center 4.7 miles awayA+Open →Jobs & incomeAOpen →Cost of livingDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 11.3 of 20; 2.9% of households have no carA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 29% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →SafetyBOpen →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors5 miles of trails; 8% conserved landA−Open →History5 notable people born hereDOpen →Civic life3.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 37 attractions →Lake Norman and 20 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cornelius. Close and well known come first.
3 mi LakeLake Norman
Big draw17 mi Stadium & arenaBank of America Stadium
26 mi Theme parkCarowinds18 mi MuseumSullenberger Aviation Museum70K visitors a year
19 mi Stadium & arenaBojangles Coliseum14 mi TheatreTruliant AmphitheaterSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lake Norman: Prince Grobhelm, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bank of America Stadium: HangingCurve, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Carowinds: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bojangles Coliseum: James Willamor, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Cornelius: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cornelius, and how to reach them.
PowerTown of CorneliusEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCharlotte WaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressTown’s hauler · day by addressTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn North Carolina you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person with same-day registration during the early voting period, or by mail (postmarked 25 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMecklenburg County Board of ElectionsMecklenburg County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2022
ZIP codes28031, 2807828031 96% · 28078 4%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Cornelius.
Cornelius fares better on crime within North Carolina than nationally and trades workers with Charlotte and other neighbors, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of North Carolina.
HealthA+
Fewer of Cornelius’ adults have obesity than in the typical North Carolina or U.S. town
Its widest gap with North Carolina is tooth loss: 6.5% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 13.9% statewide.
26% of adults have obesity in Cornelius. Cornelius beats the North Carolina average on 20 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 30% of adults have high blood pressure in Cornelius.
97%healthier than U.S. townsA+Health Grade
| Cornelius | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 36% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.9% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 24% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.7% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
20 better11 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Cornelius | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.5% | 13.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.4% | 15.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.2% | 7.9% |
Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center
4.7 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
97th
percentile among NC towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB−
Cornelius’ schools rank behind 54% of North Carolina districts
Its public schools are run by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Three of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is William Amos Hough High, with 2,518 students.
46%of NC districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bailey MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,315 | A |
| William Amos Hough HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,518 | A+ |
| J.V. Washam ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 818 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade D
Cornelius earns a D for cost of living
At 6.3 years of the Charlotte metro’s $83K median household income, the typical home (about $521K) costs more against local pay than in 88% of North Carolina towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $3,512, against $1,896 across North Carolina, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The median rent in Cornelius is $1,722 a month. The typical Cornelius home is worth about $521,000, up 0.8% in a year, 57% above the North Carolina typical home.
$521KZillow home value
| Cornelius | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,722 a month | $1,084 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 67% | 73% |
Typical home value
Cornelius$521K
North Carolina$332K
Market temperature
52
days on market
97.6%
sale-to-list price
+0.8%
value change, 1 year
65
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
#87for trails in NC
| Cornelius | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 8.2% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
8.2%
conserved · 683 of 8,378 acres
5.4 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jetton Park | 3.5 mi | 89 |
| 2. Ramsey Creek County Park | 0.7 mi | 43 |
| 3. Bailey Road Park | 0.2 mi | 65 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Low risk in Cornelius, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 71% of U.S. communities. Since 2013, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cornelius.
29risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoes
5
paid flood claims since 2013
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Cornelius has mild winters and hot summers
Cornelius has mild winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 30° and about 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
4″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter32–53°
Spring47–71°
Summer66–88°
Fall49–72°
Nov 3
typical first frost
Mar 30
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
About two in five of Cornelius’ working residents commute to Charlotte
Cornelius has about as many jobs (12,995) as working residents, but only 1,393 people both live and work here. Jobs based here grew from 8,177 in 2013 to 12,995.
Most working residents leave Cornelius for work: only 10% work in town. 28% of Cornelius workers work from home. Jobs based in Cornelius grew to 12,995 in 2023, 4,818 more than in 2013.
10%work in town
| Cornelius | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 28% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $114,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 5.4% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.6% | 6.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Cornelius10%
Charlotte39%
Huntersville7%
Mooresville5%
Davidson4%
17 mi
median commute distance
12,995
jobs based in Cornelius
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 82% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SafetyB
Crime per resident in Cornelius is lower than in 61% of U.S. towns
At 14.5 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 90% of North Carolina’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 44 reported in 2025, 1.3 per 1,000 residents.
Cornelius’ property crime rate is 9.5 per 1,000 residents.
61%of U.S. towns report more crimeBSafety Grade
| Cornelius | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 9.5 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.3 per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Cornelius1.3
North Carolina3.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Cornelius9.5
North Carolina18.2
U.S.15.5
61st
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
90th
percentile among NC towns
44
violent crimes reported in 2025
335
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cornelius
20pages on Cornelius
The big questions
SchoolsB−Behind 54% of NC districts · 6 schoolsSafetyB1.3 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthA+Better than NC on 20 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingD$521K typical home · up 0.8% in a yearWork & commuteA$114K median household income · 12,995 jobs hereNatural hazardsB+FEMA risk higher than 29% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Cornelius
Davidson CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Davidson2.9 mi$64,410 tuitionUniversity of North Carolina at CharlotteUniversity or college · Public · Charlotte14.3 mi$7,239 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Cornelius residents are enrolled in college, about the same as North Carolina.
Get outside
5 miles of trails in Cornelius
8.2% of the town is conserved land, across 13 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Famous people from Cornelius
5 notable people were born in Cornelius.
About Cornelius
Town in North Carolina, United States
Cornelius is a suburban town located along Lake Norman in northern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. It is a major suburb of Charlotte and part of its metropolitan area. The population was 31,412 at the 2020 census, up from 24,866 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1893
- Area
- 12 sq mi
- Elevation
- 804 ft
- ZIP code
- 28031
- Area code
- 704
Cornelius’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Cornelius.
HuntersvilleDavidsonCornelius
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornelius | #32 | B+ | D | B | B− | A+ |
| Huntersville | #45 | B+ | C− | B− | B− | A+ |
| Davidson | #10 | A | D | A | B− | A+ |
Questions about Cornelius
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cornelius, NC a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Cornelius grades B+ overall, better than 72% of U.S. towns and #32 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades A+ for health, B for safety and B− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Cornelius, NC expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
What is Cornelius, NC known for?
5 notable people were born here, including Andrea Stinson and Kevin Conway.