Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Charlotte

You consider moving to Charlotte?

Make sure to have a look at all the pros and cons of living in Charlotte in this article first to avoid common mistakes and to make the best possible decision in this regard!

Living in Charlotte – Overview

Advantages of Living in Charlotte

1. You can spend lots of time in nature in and around Charlotte
2. You can go fishing, hiking and do many other things outdoors
3. Many recreational spaces to relax from your stressful life
4. Property prices in Charlotte are reasonably low
5. Rents are still affordable for the general public
6. Housing shortage is not a big problem in Charlotte yet
7. You don’t have to compete with many other people for housing opportunities
8. You will find a decent place to stay soon
9. You don’t have to worry about getting evicted that much
10. Charlotte is a multicultural city
11. You can have interesting conversations with people from various backgrounds
12. Charlotte attracts people from all over the US
13. People in Charlotte are pretty tolerant
14. You will often find someone to help you out
15. Easy to socialize in Charlotte
16. You can make many new friends soon
17. Decent public transport in the Charlotte city center
18. Charlotte is not as crowded as many other big cities
19. Many opportunities to spend time on your own
20. Traffic is not a big problem in Charlotte yet
21. Easy to find a parking lot in Charlotte
22. People in Charlotte are more relaxed than in other major cities
23. Charlotte is not as busy
24. People don’t have as much financial pressure
25. You will find most things you need in Charlotte
26. You will find many things of daily life within walking distance
27. Charlotte provides the comfort of a big city
28. Many schools and colleges to choose from
29. Charlotte has an international airport
30. Low unemployment rates in Charlotte
31. Many good companies to work for
32. Highly-qualified people can make a decent living in Charlotte
33. Charlotte is still a rather secret tip
34. It doesn’t take you too long to get from one end to the other
35. Charlotte is a decent city for every age group
36. You may never have to move again
37. Living costs in Charlotte are rather low
38. Average person can still make a decent living in Charlotte
39. Warm summers make Charlotte attractive
40. Many people enjoy rather cozy winters in Charlotte
41. Population in Charlotte is growing
42. Decent future outlook for Charlotte
43. Charlotte may be a good place to invest in property
44. People in Charlotte are more real than in other big cities

You can spend lots of time in nature in and around Charlotte

One advantage of moving to Charlotte is that you can spend lots of time in nature.

In fact, Charlotte is surrounded by many forests and lakes where you can hang out and relax from your stressful life so that you can reload your batteries for the challenging times yet to come.

You can go fishing, hiking and do many other things outdoors

You can also do many nice things in nature in and around Charlotte.

For instance, you can go fishing, hiking, swimming, hunting and do many other things so that you can spend lots of time outdoors and stay fit and happy with your life in the long run.

Many recreational spaces to relax from your stressful life

You will not only find many recreational spaces outside the city borders, but you will also find many parks and other green spaces in Charlotte and this gives you the opportunity to relax during lunch break or after work so that you can stay emotionally balanced in the long run.

Property prices in Charlotte are reasonably low

Another reason to move to Charlotte is that property prices are still reasonably low compared to other major cities in the US.

While people living in New York City often have to spend lots of money on housing, you will not have to pay that much for a home in Charlotte and your mortgage rates will therefore be significantly lower and you will have more money left to spend on other things.

Rents are still affordable for the general public

Not only property prices are fairly low, but also rents in Charlotte are much lower compared to other major cities in the US and this means that you can save and invest more of your disposable income and can also afford more nice things in general.

Housing shortage is not a big problem in Charlotte yet

Since demand for housing is not that huge in Charlotte, housing shortage is not a big problem yet and you will find more than enough decent housing opportunities for you and your loved ones.

You don’t have to compete with many other people for housing opportunities

Since Charlotte is not the most popular city and demand for housing is not that big compared to other major cities, you also don’t have to compete for housing with many other people and competition will be rather low in this regard.

You will find a decent place to stay soon

Due to the rather low demand for housing and low levels of competition, you will also find a new place to stay relatively soon once you start moving to Charlotte and don’t have to search for many months as would often be the case if you moved to more popular cities.

You don’t have to worry about getting evicted that much

Another upside to moving to Charlotte is that you also don’t have to worry about getting evicted from your property as a tenant that much since you will find a new place pretty soon and therefore don’t have the same pressure in this regard as people living in regions where it is pretty hard to find a place to stay within a reasonable amount of time.

Charlotte is a multicultural city

Living in Charlotte can also be great for you if you are the type of person who loves to experience different cultures since you can meet many people from all over the US and even the world and can also try many delicious foods from exotic parts of our planet.

You can have interesting conversations with people from various backgrounds

Since you can meet many people from different cultural backgrounds in Charlotte, you can also have many exciting and interesting conversations with people living in a different lifestyle than you are used to and this can help you become more tolerant and also to see the world from a different background.

Charlotte attracts people from all over the US

While Charlotte is not the most popular city, it has still become increasingly attractive over the past decade and many people who want to live in a big city while they still don’t want to spend lots of money on rent consider moving to Charlotte since it just provides a decent mix in this regard.

People in Charlotte are pretty tolerant

Another benefit of moving to Charlotte is that people are pretty tolerant and will not judge you due to your background.

Instead, people from all over the world are welcome in Charlotte as long as they are tolerant themselves and also willing to adjust to local customs and traditions a little bit.

You will often find someone to help you out

People in Charlotte are also pretty friendly and you will have a rather easy time finding someone who is willing to help you out during many situations of daily life.

For instance, if you get lost, you will often find someone giving you directions to get back on track again and this is true for many other things.

Easy to socialize in Charlotte

Since people in Charlotte are friendly and outgoing, you will also have an easy time socializing in Charlotte since it is pretty easy to get in touch with many people within a rather short period of time and this helps you not to feel lonely in the long run.

You can make many new friends soon

Since it is pretty easy to socialize in Charlotte, you can also make many new friends pretty soon and some of those people may become your friends for many decades or even until the end of your life.

Decent public transport in the Charlotte city center

Charlotte also offers decent public transport near the city center and you may not even need a car to get from A to B since you can reach many locations within walking distance if you live close enough to the center.

Charlotte is not as crowded as many other big cities

Another upside to living in Charlotte is that the city is not as crowded as other major cities in the US yet and this can be great since you will not always run into people and will also not feel overwhelmed by huge crowds but can rather get around in a pretty relaxed manner.

Many opportunities to spend time on your own

Since Charlotte is not that crowded yet, you can also spend lots of time on your own and you will find many little secret spots where you can be alone and are not distracted by other people so that you can think about important and complex problems and how to solve them.

Traffic is not a big problem in Charlotte yet

Compared to people living in Los Angeles or other major cities, traffic in Charlotte is not at the same level and traffic jams are far less common.

Consequently, it is easier for people in Charlotte to get around in an efficient manner and you will also not have to waste lots of time in traffic jams.

Easy to find a parking lot in Charlotte

Thanks to reasonable amounts of traffic, it is also relatively easy to find a parking lot in Charlotte and you don’t have to spend lots of time and money in this regard as would be the case if you lived in other bigger cities.

People in Charlotte are more relaxed than in other major cities

Since people have more space for themselves and also don’t work as much as in other major cities, people in Charlotte are often much more relaxed and will be more eager to start conversations with you.

Charlotte is not as busy

Charlotte is also not the busiest city and while many people like big city life, Charlotte can be a great city for you if you want to live in a rather relaxed atmosphere while you still want to enjoy many amenities that come along with living in a big city.

People don’t have as much financial pressure

Since rents and property prices are fairly low compared to other major cities, people in Charlotte also don’t have as much financial pressure and don’t have to make that much money to afford a decent lifestyle.

You will find most things you need in Charlotte

Since Charlotte is a big city and provides decent public infrastructure, you will also find most things you expect from a big city and can get everything you need without having to drive to other cities as would often be the case if you moved to a smaller town.

You will find many things of daily life within walking distance

Living in Charlotte can also be quite convenient since you can find most things for daily life within walking distance at almost every corner and can get most things you need within a few minutes.

Charlotte provides the comfort of a big city

In general, Charlotte provides most things you expect from a big city and you can make your life just more efficient compared to someone living in a small village who is not able to enjoy the same high level of infrastructure and will also miss out on many amenities that come along with living in a big city like Charlotte.

Many schools and colleges to choose from

Another advantage of living in Charlotte is that you will have more than enough schools and colleges to choose from.

While you will not find as many renowned colleges as in other major cities, selection in this regard is still decent and you can therefore make sure that your kids get decent education and a good for their future lives.

Charlotte has an international airport

Moving to Charlotte also makes sense if you want to travel a lot and don’t want to spend lots of time driving to other cities to use their airports since Charlotte has a big international airport from where people can travel to many cities all over the world without having to deal with layovers.

Low unemployment rates in Charlotte

Charlotte also has pretty low unemployment rates compared to national average and this means that many people can find decent jobs and also don’t have to worry about getting laid off that much since they will most likely find a new job pretty soon.

Many good companies to work for

Charlotte is also an important economic region and you will have many big corporations to work for.

Hence, no matter what industry you are specialized in, you will find someone who wants to hire you for sure as long as you have decent education and can also provide enough value to the corporate world.

Highly-qualified people can make a decent living in Charlotte

Especially highly-qualified people are in high demand in the Charlotte labor market right now and if you hold a degree in IT or a similar field, you will almost have freedom of choice regarding whom you want to work for.

Charlotte is still a rather secret tip

Another benefit of living in Charlotte is that it is still not that popular and many people haven’t realized that it is actually a great place to stay.

Hence, you can profit from the rather low property prices right now before the region becomes increasingly popular and things may change in this regard rather quickly.

It doesn’t take you too long to get from one end to the other

Since Charlotte is not as big as other major cities and traffic is not a big problem yet, it is also pretty easy to get from one end to the other within a reasonable amount of time and you can therefore meet up with many people from different quarters of the city without having to spend too much time in this regard.

Charlotte is a decent city for every age group

Charlotte also offers many amenities and activities for the young as well as for the old and different generations usually get along with each other in a pretty decent manner and also help each other out on a regular basis.

You may never have to move again

Since Charlotte offers many things for every age group, you may also just move to Charlotte and may never have to leave the region again and may stay in this place for the rest of your life.

Living costs in Charlotte are rather low

Not only rents and property prices are pretty affordable in Charlotte, but also living costs are much lower in general compared to San Francisco or other expensive cities in the US and when you go out to a bar, you will have to pay significantly less for a drink compared to other bigger and more popular cities.

Average person can still make a decent living in Charlotte

Since living costs and property prices are fairly low, the average person can still make a decent living in Charlotte and doesn’t need to work a second job as would be the case in more expensive regions.

Warm summers make Charlotte attractive

Also climatic conditions are pretty nice in Charlotte and you can enjoy warm and sunny summers and can spend lots of time outdoors in general.

Many people enjoy rather cozy winters in Charlotte

Not only summers are great, but you can also enjoy pretty cozy winters in Charlotte and while many other people living in Chicago or other cooler places will often have to wear heavy jackets, you can often even go outside with a shirt in Charlotte.

Population in Charlotte is growing

Population in Charlotte is also growing at a pretty solid rate and this indicates that the region becomes increasingly popular by many people all over the US.

Decent future outlook for Charlotte

Due to growing population and since Charlotte is an important economic region, Charlotte will most likely also have a bright future and you don’t have to worry that too many people will leave the region anytime soon and you will still find most things of daily life for many decades.

Charlotte may be a good place to invest in property

Since Charlotte is still not the most popular city and a rather secret spot, it may also make sense to invest in property in Charlotte since prices are still much lower compared to other major cities while rental yields are decent and you may be able to make a real bargain and profit from increasing property prices in the future.

People in Charlotte are more real than in other big cities

While people in other fancy cities are often shallow and fake, people in Charlotte are more honest and real and you can therefore make real friends in this region while this is often much harder in other regions.

As you can see, there are many reasons for moving to Charlotte.

However, it is still not all upside and we also have to talk about all the negative things that come along with it so that you can make the best possible decision regarding whether you still want to live in Charlotte or rather want to move to a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Charlotte

1. Charlotte is not the most glamorous city
2. Not as much entertainment as in other major cities
3. Shopping opportunities are not as great in Charlotte
4. Charlotte doesn’t have many great sports teams
5. You may miss a decent art scene in Charlotte
6. Number of museums is rather limited in Charlotte
7. You may get bored living in Charlotte
8. Charlotte doesn’t offer the feeling of big city life
9. You may miss the beach in Charlotte
10. Level of inequality is increasing in Charlotte
11. Homelessness has become a problem
12. Social tensions have increased as well
13. People may no longer be that friendly
14. Crime rates may increase further
15. Property prices and rents are increasing
16. Many people may no longer be able to afford to live in Charlotte in the future
17. Locals may leave the region
18. Charlotte becomes increasingly crowded
19. Pretty poor air quality in Charlotte
20. You will not meet many tourists
21. Charlotte doesn’t offer great nightlife
22. Hard to meet celebrities in Charlotte
23. Hard to do winter sports in Charlotte
24. Charlotte may have a hard time accommodating many new people
25. Public infrastructure may suffer
26. Public transport is rather poor in the suburbs of Charlotte
27. Natural disasters may destroy your home
28. You may have to justify moving to Charlotte
29. Your friends may not visit you in Charlotte that often
30. Hard to build a strong business network in Charlotte

Charlotte is not the most glamorous city

One downside to living in Charlotte is that it is not the most glamorous city.

While NYC and L.A. are pretty famous and flashy, Charlotte just doesn’t have the same charm and you may just miss this special feeling you are used to from other bigger cities.

Not as much entertainment as in other major cities

Charlotte is also not the greatest city to move to if you are the kind of person who needs action all day long since you will just not find as much entertainment as in other big cities.

Shopping opportunities are not as great in Charlotte

You should also not move to Charlotte if you are a fashion victim since you will just not find as many nice boutiques as in other major cities and may get disappointed in this regard quite a lot.

Charlotte doesn’t have many great sports teams

Another disadvantage of living in Charlotte is that there are also not as many great sports teams as in other big cities and if you love sports and want to watch games at the highest level, you may be better off moving to Philadelphia or other major regions.

You may miss a decent art scene in Charlotte

You should also not expect the same art scene as you might be used to in San Francisco or other big cities in the US and if you are an artist or just interested in art and want to meet many like-minded people, moving to Charlotte may just not be the best idea for you.

Number of museums is rather limited in Charlotte

You will also not be able to watch many exciting and interesting exhibitions in Charlotte since the number of big museums is rather limited and you may just get bored in this regard in the long run.

You may get bored living in Charlotte

In general, Charlotte is just not the most exciting city and if you want to have action and enjoy glamor on a regular basis, you may get bored with living in Charlotte and may rather want to move to a different location instead.

Charlotte doesn’t offer the feeling of big city life

Another problem with living in Charlotte is that you will also not be able to enjoy big city life as much as in bigger metropolitan regions and you will also not be at the heart of the universe as would be the case in NYC or L.A.

You may miss the beach in Charlotte

Charlotte is also not located at the beach and this takes away the opportunity to go surfing or swimming before or after work or even during lunch break which can be great to relax from your stressful job.

Level of inequality is increasing in Charlotte

You should also know that overall level of inequality is increasing in Charlotte and if this trend continues, the rich may no longer hang out with the poor and different social classes may just no longer interact with each other in a healthy manner.

Homelessness has become a problem

Another reason not to move to Charlotte is that homelessness has become a serious problem over the past decade and an increasing number of people may end up in the streets sooner or later which is not a nice picture at all and you may also no longer feel safe walking down the streets.

Social tensions have increased as well

Due to the increasing gap between the poor and the rich, also social tensions have increased significantly and this may destroy social cohesion and may also people make less helpful in the long run.

People may no longer be that friendly

Since an increasing number of people struggle to make a living, people in Charlotte are also no longer as friendly as they have been in the past and this may greatly lower overall quality of life since you will experience this in many different situations of daily life.

Crime rates may increase further

Another downside to moving to Charlotte is that crime rates are already above national average and may continue to increase even further in the future and you may just no longer feel safe.

Property prices and rents are increasing

Similar to many other big cities, property prices and rents are increasing and even though they are on a relatively low level compared to other major cities, many people already struggle to pay rent or other expenses related to housing and may get into serious financial trouble sooner or later.

Many people may no longer be able to afford to live in Charlotte in the future

Due to increasing property prices and rents, many people also have less money left to spend on other things and are just no longer able to live a decent lifestyle.

Locals may leave the region

Due to increasing costs of living, many locals may no longer be able to afford to live in Charlotte and may leave the region which also means that some of the charm of the city will be lost.

Charlotte becomes increasingly crowded

Due to increasing population in Charlotte, the city has also become increasingly crowded over the past years and if this trend continues, traffic may become a serious problem and overall quality of life may suffer quite a lot.

Pretty poor air quality in Charlotte

Another problem with moving to Charlotte is that air quality is pretty poor and this will not only lower overall quality of life but also increases the risk of people suffering from serious pulmonary diseases or other health problems sooner or later.

You will not meet many tourists

Charlotte is also not the most popular city among tourists and if you want to meet many new people from all over the world, chances are that you will be better off moving to bigger and more popular cities in the US.

Charlotte doesn’t offer great nightlife

While you will find some decent bars and clubs in Charlotte, you will still not be able to experience the same high-quality nightlife as in other major cities and you may get bored with nightlife in Charlotte sooner or later.

Hard to meet celebrities in Charlotte

Since Charlotte is not the most popular city, it is also hard to meet celebrities and other influential people in this region and if you want to meet many of your idols, you will be better off moving to more popular places instead.

Hard to do winter sports in Charlotte

Since Charlotte has relatively mild winters and snow is not that common, it will also take you a while and you will often have to drive long hours to find a place to ski or to do other winter sports.

Charlotte may have a hard time accommodating many new people

Since population in Charlotte has been growing significantly over the past years, the city may have serious problems accommodating all those new people and housing shortage may become a serious problem just a few years from now.

Public infrastructure may suffer

Due to many new people in the Charlotte region and since population is growing even further, overall public infrastructure may become worse and may suffer quite a lot in the long run which would greatly lower overall quality of life.

Public transport is rather poor in the suburbs of Charlotte

Another disadvantage of moving to Charlotte is that public transport is often pretty poor in the outskirts and if you don’t want to live close to the city center, you may have to rely on your car to get around instead of taking the bus or the train.

Natural disasters may destroy your home

You should also be aware of the fact that Charlotte is also vulnerable to natural disasters like tornadoes and you should therefore get proper insurance in this regard to protect your home and your finances as best as possible.

You may have to justify moving to Charlotte

Since Charlotte is not the most popular city, your friends may also not understand your decision of moving to Charlotte and you may have to justify quite a lot in this regard.

Your friends may not visit you in Charlotte that often

Since Charlotte isn’t that great for tourists, your friends from different states may also not want to visit you that often and you may therefore feel alone on a regular basis in case you don’t make new friends in Charlotte soon.

Hard to build a strong business network in Charlotte

Since Charlotte is not the biggest economic center, it also doesn’t attract as many highly-qualified people as the Silicon Valley region and you may therefore have a rather hard time building a strong business network in Charlotte.

Top 10 Moving To Charlotte Pros & Cons – Summary List

Should You Move To Charlotte?

While Charlotte can be a great place to live in since unemployment rates are pretty low and property prices and rents are still reasonable, Charlotte is also not the most exciting city and doesn’t have as much to offer as other big cities like L.A. or NYC.

In the end, it is on you to evaluate all the advantages and disadvantages of living in Charlotte carefully so that you can better decide whether you still want to move to Charlotte or rather want to live in a different region instead.

Alternative Cities To Live In

If you don’t want to move to Charlotte anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Dallas

Advantages and disadvantages of living in San Diego

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Indianapolis

Sources

https://charlottenc.gov/Pages/Home.aspx

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.