City of Charlotte NC

Charlotte Was Ranked The #1 Most Up-And-Coming City in America

By Scott Jensen - July 29, 2018

www.charlottestories.com

 

Time Magazine and Yelp recently released a study that analyzed the best cities in America for economic opportunity – where small businesses have the best chance of success.

 

The study uses Yelp’s deep data stores to rank the 50 biggest cities in the country by “economic opportunity”, which is defined by Yelp as “the chance businesses have to stay open, and for new businesses to thrive.” They looked at dozens of data points for each business in every city, comparing their ratings, page visits, search frequency, number of times the business has been mapped, and how long each business has been open.

 

According to Time Magazine, “the data indicates that Charlotte, N.C. is the highest growth area, driven by success in restaurants and also the wider food industry — grocery stores, bakeries and the like — as well as home services.” The #1 ranked Queen City is followed by Jacksonville, FL at #2, Omaha, NE at #3, Orlando, FL at #4, and Charleston, SC at #5.

 

Time Magazine also lists out 10 subcategories that made up the overall ranking, including;

 

Shopping – Charlotte ranked #3

 

Restaurants – Charlotte ranked #6

 

Nightlife – Charlotte ranked #19

 

Food – Charlotte ranked #1

 

Automotive – Charlotte ranked #3

 

Event Planning and Services – Charlotte ranked #14

 

Health and Medical – Charlotte ranked #4

 

Active Life – Charlotte ranked #6

 

Home Services – Charlotte ranked #2

 

Beauty and Spas – Charlotte ranked #5

 

The results of this new study are even more encouraging for Charlotte, given that many experts are now saying that crowd-sourced data from sites like Yelp are more accurate reflections of economic health than governmental data.

 

A recent Harvard study notes that “government datasets from agencies such as the U.S. Census Bureau have long been the gold standard for measuring economic activity at the local level. However, these statistics typically appear only after multi-year lags, and the public-facing versions are aggregated to the county or ZIP code level. In contrast, crowdsourced data from online platforms such as Yelp are often contemporaneous and geographically finer than official government statistics.”

 

Keep up the good work Charlotte!

 

 

Top 10 Best Neighborhoods of Charlotte

By Scott Jensen - April 30, 2018

www.charlottestories.com

 

Charlotte is now one of the largest cities in America in terms of physical geography (due to its history of annexing so much of the land around it). It’s now an extremely diverse city in terms of areas and neighborhoods – it even has a few smaller cities within it, such as Ballantyne and South Park.

 

We have streetcar-era communities where buildings range from vintage factories to grand Southern estates. There are historic neighborhoods, and modern sections, working-class, and upper class.

 

Here are the top 10 most “livable” neighborhoods throughout Charlotte (according to AreaVibes.com); best neighborhoods in Charlotte

 

​

 

#1 Eastover

​

 

Located just southeast of Center City, Eastover was the first suburb with driveways for “motorcars” in the late 1800s. The neighborhood’s has historically attracted Charlotte’s most prominent leaders, including banker, Hugh McColl Jr. and department store icon, John Belk.

 

Eastover’s livability score is 87 – ranked #1 in Charlotte and #1 in North Carolina. It currently has a 97% high school graduation rate, 59% lower crime rate than Charlotte’s average, and a 318% higher income than Charlotte’s average (the median household income is $221k). On the downside, the average home price is $881,000 and the cost of living is 93% higher than Charlotte’s average.

 

Eastover is home to The Mint Museum of Art, with local art and historic artifacts, and The Eastover Academy, one of Charlotte’s oldest and most popular Elementary Schools.

 

#2 Commonwealth

​

 

The neighborhood of Commonwealth technically contains most of what Charlotteans consider “Downtown Plaza Midwood”, including the new Harris Teeter, the Common Market, Dish, and The Peculiar Rabbit.

 

Established in 1939, Commonwealth is 4 miles east of Center City and boasts a diverse group of residents from around the world; young and old, families and singles, and Charlotte natives and transplants – the Commonwealth neighborhood truly has something for everyone.

 

Commonwealth’s livability score is 86 – ranked #2 in Charlotte and #4 in North Carolina. It currently has a 100% high school graduation rate, 59% lower crime rate than Charlotte’s average, and a 60% higher income than Charlotte’s average (the median household income is $84k). It’s average home price is only moderately higher than Charlotte’s average at $279,000, and the cost of living is only 13% higher than the average for Charlotte.

 

#3 Barclay Downs

​

 

Barclay Downs once part of a 3,000-acre farm owned by N.C. Gov. Cameron Morrison, and has since been transformed into one of North Carolina’s most esteemed and successful live/work communities. It contains most of the SouthPark area of Charlotte, including The SouthPark Mall, The Colony, and Piedmont Row. It also features several award winning public schools, a regional library, and plenty of general, and specialty retail shopping.

 

Barclay Down’s livability score is 86 – ranked #3 in Charlotte and #5 in North Carolina. It currently has a 99% high school graduation rate, and a 73% higher income than Charlotte’s average (the median household income is $91k). Average home prices are fairly reasonable at around $493,000, and the cost of living is 39% higher than the average for Charlotte.

 

#4 Dilworth

​

 

Dilworth is Charlotte’s oldest streetcar suburb, known for its many rebuilt bungalows (McMansions), renovated historic homes, incredible parks, majestic churches.

 

Running through the middle of Dilworth is East Blvd., one of Charlotte’s favorite streets. Most of the homes on the street have been converted into restaurants, art galleries, pubs, trendy shops, and unique office spaces.

 

Dilworth’s livability score is 86. It currently has a 94% high school graduation rate, 59% lower crime rate than Charlotte’s average, and a 73% higher income than Charlotte’s average (the median household income is $84k). Average home prices are even more reasonable than Barclay Down’s at around $452,000, and the cost of living is 33% higher than the average for Charlotte.

 

#5 Myers Park

​

 

Myers Park was birthed out of a large cotton farm. In 1911, architect John Nolen was hired to create a “garden suburb.”  The designers used the winding paths and natural landscape to create what many consider to be Charlotte’s most beautiful community.  Most of the historic homes in Myers Park reflect the Classic style from traditional brick Georgians to English Tudor.

 

Myers Park’s livability score is 85. It currently has a 99% high school graduation rate, and a 131% higher income than Charlotte’s average (the median household income is $122k). Average home prices are now hovering around $723,000, and the cost of living is 68% higher than the average for Charlotte.

 

#6 Fourth Ward

​

 

Center City’s Fourth Ward takes up the northwest quadrant of the area inside of highway 277. It exploded in growth during the mid-1800s, during which First Methodist, First Presbyterian, and St. Peters Episcopal Churches were all constructed. By the mid 1900’s, however, the neighborhood became severely neglected and crime-ridden as many residents moved to the ‘suburbs’ of Dilworth and Myers Park.

 

Most of the majestic Victorian homes were either destroyed or became commercial buildings and by 1970, many parts of Fourth Ward were unsafe to walk through. During the late 90s we finally started to see a major restoration to Fourth Ward, and it is now considered one of the most thriving parts of Uptown Charlotte.

 

Fourth Ward’s livability score is 85. It currently has a 95% high school graduation rate, and a 42% higher income than Charlotte’s average (the median household income is $75k). Average home prices are much closer to Charlotte’s average at $269,000, and the cost of living is only 13% higher than the average for Charlotte.

 

#7 Foxcroft

​

 

Like Barclay Downs, Foxcroft is another neighborhood within the SouthPark area. For at least 50 years, the Foxcroft neighborhood has been one of Charlotte’s most desirable, featuring uniquely large lots, mature trees, and stunning landscaping. The Crepe Myrtle trees canopy the driveways and streets throughout the neighborhood in the summer and the old oaks just seem to envelope you as you drive through the lush, green community. Homes prices in Foxcroft range from $500,000 to over $2.5 million with homes built in the 30’s next door to renovated or re-built homes just completed in 2009.

 

Foxcroft’s livability score is 85. It currently has a 96% high school graduation rate, and a 144% higher income than Charlotte’s average (the median household income is $129k). Average home prices in Foxcroft are $677,000, and the cost of living is 61% higher than Charlotte’s average.

 

#8 Plaza Midwood

​

 

Plaza Midwood is full of rich history yet, urban and hip. Established in the early 1900’s, Midwood was developed along the trolley line that ran from Charlotte’s then, Downtown, along Central Avenue. Suffering during the 60’s and 70’s, in serious decline, concerned residents established the Plaza Midwood Neighborhood Association. The community began to be refurbished and residents worked diligently to improve the appearance of the area and revitalized Plaza Midwood in style.

 

Besides all the eclectic shops at the intersection of Plaza Rd. and Central (many of which are technically in Commonwealth), the heart of Plaza Midwood features the incredibly historic Van Landingham Estate, and one of America’s most prestigious country clubs, The Charlotte Country Club.

 

Plaza Midwood’s livability score is 85. It currently has a 93% high school graduation rate, and a 57% higher income than Charlotte’s average (the median household income is $83k). Average home prices in Plaza Midwood are $300,000, and the cost of living is only 15% higher than Charlotte’s average.

 

#9 Ballantyne East

​

 

Ballantyne was nothing more than farmland 25 years ago. When the Bissell/Harris family saw the potential of the new highway 485, they decided to build a new city in the southern tip of Charlotte. Through several partnerships, they built the Ballantyne Country Club, the five-star Ballantyne Golf Resort and Spa, a sprawling corporate office park (now home to some of Charlotte’s Fortune 500 companies), dozens of high end restaurants and shops, and many desirable new subdivisions.

 

Ballantyne East and Ballantyne West are nearly identical in terms of ‘livability score’, but the eastern half is slightly better with a livability score is 85. It currently has a 99% high school graduation rate, and a 102% higher income than Charlotte’s average (the median household income is $107k). Average home prices in Ballantyne East are now hovering at $450,000, and the cost of living is only 34% higher than Charlotte’s average.

 

#10 Wessex Square

​

 

Wessex Square sits in the heart of what many people consider “South Charlotte”. It’s not very flashy and it’s not very historic, but it is a great place to raise a family. It surrounds the Cedarwood Country Club (one of Charlotte’s newest), and sits directly across Pineville-Matthews Rd. from the highly desirable Arboretum Shopping Center.

 

Wessex Square has a livability score of 85. It’s high school graduation rate now sits at 99%, and it has a 67% higher income than Charlotte’s average (the median household income is $91k/year). Average home prices in Wessex Square are now hovering at $252,000, and the cost of living is 43% higher than Charlotte’s average.

 

 

Charlotte Is 2018’s 4th Fastest-Growing Large City in America

By Scott Jensen - October 1, 2018

 

With the Census Bureau reporting that the South held 8 of the 15 cities with the largest population gains in 2017, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2018’s Fastest-Growing Cities in America.

 

To determine where the most rapid local economic growth occurred over a period of seven years, WalletHub compared 515 U.S. cities across 15 key metrics. The data set ranges from population growth to college-educated population growth to unemployment rate decrease. In addition, we produced a separate ranking by city size.

 

Economic Growth in Charlotte (1=Fastest-Growing; 258=Avg.)

 

41st – Population Growth

235th – Median Household Income Growth

18th – Job Growth

94th – Poverty Rate Decrease

1st – Growth in Number of Businesses

34th – Working-Age Population Growth

230th – Foreclosure Rate Decrease

Charlotte ranks 32nd overall and 4th in terms of large-city growth.

 

 

Charlotte Ranked Among Best Cities In America For Young Professionals

By Scott Jensen - August 23, 2018

 

The Queen City is now ranked as one of the top cities in America where contented young professionals live, according to online career site Careerbliss.com.

 

The site analyzed thousands of employee generated reviews from hundreds of American cities to compile the list.

 

A ‘young professional’ was defined by CareerBliss to mean an employee with less than 10 years’ experience in a full-time position. They were asked to rate eight factors that are thought to happiness the most, including; growth opportunities, compensation, benefits, work-life balance, career advancement, senior management, job security, and whether or not they would recommend their job to others.

 

They valued each factor on a five-point scale and also indicated how important it was to their overall happiness at work. The numbers were combined to find an average rating of overall employee happiness for each respondent and then sorted by location to find which cities had the happiest workers.

 

Charlotte came in 4th place, beating out LA (#19), Atlanta (#18), San Francisco (#14), and even Boston (#8). The Queen City generated a total score of 3.63 (only two tenths lower than first place Redmond, WA’s score of 3.83).

 

 

Charlotte Is Home to One of the Fastest Growing Tech Sectors in America

By Scott Jensen - September 21, 2018

 

For decades Charlotte has been known as a banking hub…but our identity is now quickly expanding into the technology sector.

 

Red Ventures, a Charlotte-based digital marketing company was recently valued at $1 billion. Tech startups are being formed and funded almost weekly here in the Queen city (Charlotte-based Socialtopias raised $4.2 million, and Map Anything raised $7.3 million), and Time Magazine recently ranked two local Charlotteans among the top 30 most influential people on the internet.

 

According to Charlotte’s top tech recruiting firm Vaco, unemployment has fallen to a 17 year low of 4.1 percent in Charlotte, while hiring continues to rise.

 

“Charlotte is the perfect size city – it’s clean and safe with unique neighborhoods and thriving communities for newcomers,” noted Jonah Dimeo, Sr. Director, Technology Talent Solutions. He noted that CyberSecurity, Application Development, and Analytics are the currently the fastest growing tech positions in Charlotte.

 

 

 

 

Custom Search

Homes & Land