Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 23,140, settled in 1888.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Waxhaw grades A overall, 9th of 286 graded towns in North Carolina. It is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns. It reports less crime per resident than 87% of U.S. towns and its public schools beat 84% of North Carolina towns on state tests and graduation. The catch is cost: the typical home is worth about $700K, 8.4 years of the Charlotte metro’s $83K median household income. 33% of residents are under 18 in Waxhaw, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 22% and U.S. towns at 22%. Among 234 North Carolina towns, just 4 have a higher typical home value than Waxhaw. Waxhaw Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Waxhaw beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Kensington Elementary | K–5 | 901 |
| Waxhaw Elementary | PK–5 | 615 |
| South Providence | 6–12 | 91 |
9,859 counted in 2010 and 20,534 in 2020; an estimated 23,140 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 12.6% since 2020, after 108.3% 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 Waxhaw is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 752 in 1900, 20,534 in 2020. The archive holds 14 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1970 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Waxhaw, 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 Waxhaw.
Waxhaw has schools in the top 5% of North Carolina and has less tooth loss than most of North Carolina, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of North Carolina.
At 8.4 years of the Charlotte metro’s $83K median household income, the typical home (about $700K) costs more against local pay than in 98% of North Carolina towns; that ratio is one input to its C− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $3,906, against $1,896 across North Carolina, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The median rent in Waxhaw is $1,840 a month.
| Waxhaw | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,840 a month | $1,084 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 83% | 67% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A− ranks #3 of the 290 North Carolina towns we grade for schools. Its A− for schools comes with a C− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $700K.
Its public schools are run by the Union County Public Schools. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kensington ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 901 | A |
| South ProvidenceLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 91 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with North Carolina is tooth loss: 7.1% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 13.9% statewide.
9.7% of adults report frequent physical distress in Waxhaw. Waxhaw beats the North Carolina average on 19 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 8.2% of adults have diabetes in Waxhaw.
| Waxhaw | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.7% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.2% | 13% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 38% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 19% | 19% |
| What stands out | Waxhaw | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.1% | 13.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.6% | 15.2% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 72.3% | 76.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Violent crime is rare: 11 reported in 2025, 0.5 per 1,000 residents.
Waxhaw’s property crime rate is 3.5 per 1,000 residents. Only 8 of the 153 North Carolina towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Waxhaw.
| Waxhaw | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.5 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Jobs based here grew from 1,690 in 2013 to 4,136. 27.7% of workers work from home, against 16.3% across North Carolina.
Most working residents leave Waxhaw for work: only 6% work in town. 28% of Waxhaw workers work from home. Since 2013, Waxhaw has added 2,446 jobs, to 4,136 in 2023.
| Waxhaw | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 28% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $132,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 4.5% | 13% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Waxhaw since 2003.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
3.0 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Charlotte Eagles Soccer Complex, at 59 acres.
| Waxhaw | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.2% | 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. Charlotte Eagles Soccer Complex | 0.3 mi | 59 |
| 2. Harvey Clay Nesbit Park | 0.2 mi | 42 |
| 3. Waxhaw Downtown Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Waxhaw has mild winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 90°, January nights drop to 31° and about 3 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Waxhaw. Close and well known come first.
Big draw21 mi Stadium & arenaBank of America Stadium
16 mi Theme parkCarowinds22 mi MuseumSullenberger Aviation Museum70K visitors a year
39 mi LakeLake Norman
19 mi Stadium & arenaBojangles Coliseum19 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
2 within 15 miles of the center of Waxhaw
About 4 of every 100 Waxhaw residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
Where Waxhaw’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 notable people were born in Waxhaw.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Waxhaw is an incorporated town in Union County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 20,534 according to the 2020 Census. The population grew 108.28% from 2010. The name is derived from the indigenous people who lived in the area, who were known as the Waxhaw people.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Waxhaw.
At #9 in NC, it grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; Mineral Springs (A) comes closest.
| Town | NC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waxhaw | #9 | A | C− | A | A− | A |
| Mineral Springs | #13 | A | B | — | A− | A− |
| Wesley Chapel | #47 | B+ | C− | — | A− | A |
| Marvin | #25 | A− | C− | — | A− | A+ |
Mineral Springs, Wesley Chapel and Marvin report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Waxhaw with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Waxhaw grades A overall, better than 87% of U.S. towns and #9 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades A for health, A for safety and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
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−.
5 notable people were born here, including Daniel Harvey and Nick Saldiveri.
