Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Matthews's standout: the median household earns $109K. Overall it grades B−, ranked 107th of 286 in North Carolina. Residents are healthier than 95% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its weakest subject is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $504K, 6.1 years of the Charlotte metro’s $83K median household income. 55% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Matthews, above both the North Carolina town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Matthews has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Matthews Commercial Historic District.
Where Matthews beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Matthews is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 191 in 1880, 29,435 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 1952 and 2 maps from 1971 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Matthews. Close and well known come first.
Big draw11 mi Stadium & arenaBank of America Stadium
13 mi Theme parkCarowinds14 mi MuseumSullenberger Aviation Museum70K visitors a year
28 mi LakeLake Norman
8 mi Stadium & arenaBojangles Coliseum8 mi TheatreOvens AuditoriumBank of America Stadium: HangingCurve, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Carowinds: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Norman: Prince Grobhelm, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bojangles Coliseum: James Willamor, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Matthews, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Matthews.
Matthews has less food insecurity than most of North Carolina and has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of North Carolina.
Its widest gap with North Carolina is food insecurity: 8.5% of its 23,063 adults worry about having enough food, against 15.2% statewide. Its A+ for health tops all 3 graded neighbors; Stallings (A) comes closest.
26% of adults have obesity in Matthews. Matthews beats the North Carolina average on 19 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 9.4% of adults have diabetes in Matthews.
| Matthews | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 36% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.9% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Matthews | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.5% | 15.2% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.8% | 8.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.7% | 7.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Three of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Butler High School, with 1,791 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crestdale MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 989 | A− |
| Butler High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,791 | A |
| Levine Middle College High SchTop results in townGrades 11–12 | Grades 11–12 | 216 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
At 6.1 years of the Charlotte metro’s $83K median household income, the typical home (about $504K) costs more against local pay than in 85% of North Carolina towns; that ratio is one input to its C− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $3,047, against $1,896 across North Carolina, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Matthews’ median rent is $1,764 a month. The typical Matthews home is worth about $504,000, about the same as a year ago, 52% above the North Carolina typical home.
| Matthews | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,764 a month | $1,084 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 67% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Reported crimes fell from 982 to 779 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Matthews is 26.5 per 1,000 residents. Within North Carolina, it does better than 54% of towns.
| Matthews | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 26.5 per 1,000 residents | 24 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 1.8 per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
4.1 miles of trail in 15 parks and preserves. Ildewild Road Park, at 128 acres with 1.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Matthews | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 6.1% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ildewild Road Park | 1.9 mi | 128 |
| 2. Arthur Goodman Memorial Park | 0.7 mi | 28 |
| 3. Purser-Hulsey Park | — | 95 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Matthews has mild winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 90°, January nights drop to 31° and about 2 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Matthews for work: only 7% work in town. 3.7% of Matthews residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Matthews grew to 18,443 in 2023, 2,511 more than in 2013.
| Matthews | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.7% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $109,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 18% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. Since 2014, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Matthews.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
8 within 15 miles of the center of Matthews
About 4 of every 100 Matthews residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
2 places in Matthews on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Matthews.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Matthews is a town in southeastern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. It is a suburb of Charlotte. The population was 29,435 as of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Matthews.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Matthews grades B− overall, better than 47% of U.S. towns and #107 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades A+ for health, C− for safety and B− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Within North Carolina, it does better than 54% of towns.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
7 notable people were born here, including James B. Black and Darius Kilgo.
