Metro Life Score
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
Top-quartile composite Life Score — grade B+, 76th percentile of the national corpus.
- 56.3
- Life Score / 100
- B+
- Grade (curved)
- #92
- of 387 metros
- 76%
- composite percentile
Data updated August 2026
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The verdict
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia is top-quartile composite Life Score — #92 of 387 (56.3/100, grade B+, 76th percentile). Carried by wages at 78/100; held back most by cost of living at 31/100.
- 76th
- composite percentile
- #92
- of 387 peers
- 31st
- cost dimension percentile
- 78th
- wages dimension percentile
Life Score shape · UPPER · RENT-SQUEEZE · signature wages
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia: pay power is the signature
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia stamps UPPER · RENT-SQUEEZE with wages at the 78th percentile of the metro corpus (HIGH) — ahead of its cost mark (DEAR, 31st) and composite #92. Wages (78/100) amplifies the lead; Cost of Living (31/100) is the residual gap. According to PlainCompare's federal Life Score corpus ranking, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC ranks #92 of 387 metros by composite Life Score (highest = #1) and #266 of 387 by cost-of-living dimension score (highest = #1). Methodology.
BEA RPP 97.3 (rent-RPP 97.6). BLS median salary $70,931, 1,341,320 jobs (Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand, Retail Salespersons, Cashiers). HUD 2BR FMR $1,138/mo (studio $785).
FBI UCR (NC): 365 violent, 1930 property/100K. NCES: 16.1:1 ratio, 7.6% charter. DOL infant childcare $9,487/yr. EPA: 42 Superfund sites (NC).
Where Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia sits among all US metros
Composite Life Score vs the national field
56 Top 24% higher than 76% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCompare composite of BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, EPA data · August 2026
How the 56.3 is built
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia's Life Score, decomposed
Dimension detail
How Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia scores, dimension by dimension
Score Breakdown
Dimension Scores
Key Data Points
Geography used: crime, schools, childcare, and environment cards above are NC state-level when metro-specific feeds are unavailable, see the scope key at the top of this page.
Compare Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia With...
Ranking Context
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia outranks 76% of U.S. metros.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| #89 | Minot, ND | 56.4 | B+ |
| #90 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 56.6 | B+ |
| #91 | Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | 56.7 | B+ |
| #92 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 56.3 | B+ |
| #93 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | 56.0 | B+ |
| #94 | Tulsa, OK | 56.0 | B+ |
| #95 | Amarillo, TX | 55.9 | B+ |
Quality vs. Affordability
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC is top 24% highest-quality nationally but only bottom 32% least affordable among its composite-quality peers -- its Life Score is earned mostly outside the cost dimension, not through being a budget option.
NC Metro Scores
Read with Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia
Nearest composite peers and cost poles for Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia (UPPER · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/HIGH), replacing the fixed Explore/Guides strip.
Minot, ND
ABS(composite) peer at 56.4 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B+ vs this page's UPPER · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/HIGH.
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI
ABS(composite) peer at 56.0 (Δ 0.3 vs this metro); lower Life Score · grade B+ vs this page's UPPER · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/HIGH.
Tulsa, OK
ABS(composite) peer at 56.0 (Δ 0.3 vs this metro); lower Life Score · grade B+ vs this page's UPPER · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/HIGH.
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
ABS(composite) peer at 56.6 (Δ 0.3 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B+ vs this page's UPPER · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/HIGH.
St. George, UT (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 32/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp DEAR vs this metro's DEAR.
Dover, DE (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 31/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp DEAR vs this metro's DEAR.
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC relocation guide
Stamp-branched guide for UPPER · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/HIGH - how to read federal Life Score inputs before a move.
Using Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia's top-third Life Score
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia scores 56.3/100 overall, but Wages (78.5) and Cost of Living (31.3) sit 47.2 points apart, so decide which of the two matters more to you before leaning on the total.
- Wages is the strongest of Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia's seven dimensions (weighted 20% in the composite); if it is your priority, this is where the metro earns its rank. See all seven dimensions
- Cost of Living is the weakest (weighted 20% in the composite); if it is a dealbreaker, weigh it before the ranking does. Rank metros on the composite
- Greenville is the nearest comparison this page can offer; put the two side by side on the same seven dimensions. Compare with Greenville
A high composite is a weighted blend; it does not mean every dimension is strong.