Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Midland grades A− overall, 26th of 286 graded towns in North Carolina, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. The median household earns $101K and CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 89% of the country. It also does better than most on schools: its public schools beat 73% of North Carolina towns on state tests and graduation. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $427K, 5.1 years of the Charlotte metro’s $83K median household income. Midland’s average trip to work is 32 minutes, against 24 minutes in North Carolina’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Midland has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them John Bunyan Green Farm and Spears House. Midland's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 84% of U.S. towns.
Where Midland beats most towns.
3,073 counted in 2010 and 4,684 in 2020; an estimated 5,151 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 9% since 2020, after 52.4% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Midland is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2022 and a map from 1985 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Midland. Close and well known come first.
Big draw18 mi Stadium & arenaBank of America Stadium
25 mi Theme parkCarowinds
28 mi LakeLake Norman23 mi MuseumSullenberger Aviation Museum70K visitors a year
15 mi Stadium & arenaBojangles Coliseum12 mi TheatreTruliant AmphitheaterBank 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 Midland, 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 Midland.
Its widest gap with North Carolina is food insecurity: 9.4% of its 3,434 adults worry about having enough food, against 15.2% statewide.
11% of adults report frequent physical distress in Midland. Midland beats the North Carolina average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 9% of adults have diabetes in Midland.
| Midland | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9% | 13% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 24% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 19% | 19% |
| What stands out | Midland | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.4% | 15.2% |
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 5.9% | 8.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Cabarrus County Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 611 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Midland for work: only 3% work in town. 4.1% of Midland residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Midland grew to 1,028 in 2023, 205 more than in 2013.
| Midland | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.1% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $101,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.5% | 6.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The median rent in Midland is $1,418 a month. The typical Midland home is worth about $427,000, up 1.6% in a year, 28% above the North Carolina typical home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Adults 35 to 64 are 47% of residents (38% statewide); people 65 and older are 11% of residents (17% statewide). Midland has grown 9% since 2020, to 5,151 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 33% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across North Carolina.
| Midland | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 11% | 18% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 38.9 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
55% women, 45% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.4 points. Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Midland | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.6% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 12% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.6% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.2% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 17.6% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.3% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.6% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.1% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.8% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.5% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.2% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.6% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.8% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Midland has mild winters and warm summers. Midland’s July high is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
2.9 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Pharr Family Preserve, 66 acres with 1.5 miles of trail.
| Midland | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.9% | 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. Pharr Family Preserve | 1.5 mi | 66 |
| 2. Rob Wallace Park | 1.2 mi | 37 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities. Since 2008, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Midland.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
3 within 15 miles of the center of Midland
About 7 of every 100 Midland residents are enrolled in college, about the same as North Carolina.
Where Midland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Midland on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Midland is a town in southern Cabarrus County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Charlotte region of North Carolina, Midland is a 30-minute commute to uptown Charlotte. The name of the town is derived from its location approximately halfway between Charlotte and Oakboro on the railroad line. The population was 4,684 as of the 2020 census, up from 3,073 in 2010. The U.S. Postal Service has maintained a post office in Midland for many years (ZIP code 28107), and rural mail routes extend from Midland into portions of four counties.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Midland.
Midland and Locust report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Midland with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Midland grades A− overall, better than 77% of U.S. towns and #26 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades A for health and B+ for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
