Can people afford to live in North Meck?
Rents have risen twice as fast as incomes since 2018. Home values have nearly doubled. This section follows the data to show who is affected, where the pressure is highest, and what it means for the communities that make North Meck work.
rent rise in Huntersville since 2018, from $1,196 to $1,820/mo
ACS 2018–2024of gross income to buy the median home, for a $20k–$35k household
ACS 2024median home price in Davidson, 4× the U.S. national median
ACS 2024to save a 20% down payment at a 10% annual savings rate
ACS 2024How much does it actually cost to live here, and who can afford it?
How have rents changed across Davidson, Cornelius, and Huntersville?
Median rent by town, 2018–2024. Each line tracks what renters paid in that year's ACS survey.
How have home prices changed, and is buying becoming out of reach?
Home values indexed to 2018 alongside median income, showing how ownership affordability has shifted.
How much does someone need to earn per hour to afford rent without being cost-burdened?
The "housing wage" is the hourly pay a full-time worker needs so rent does not exceed 30% of income. No common local occupation reaches it.
Who can afford to live in North Meck at different income levels?
Income limits and maximum affordable rent at each AMI bracket compared to fair market rent, showing the monthly gap households face at each income tier.
How does rent — and homeownership — compare to what residents actually earn?
Rent-to-income ratio measures what share of median household income goes to rent. A home price-to-income ratio above 4× is considered unaffordable for first-time buyers without significant savings. Both ratios have climbed sharply since 2018.
Is there enough housing in North Meck, and is it the right kind?
How fast is North Meck growing, and is housing supply keeping up with population?
Total population by town, 2018–2024. Rapid growth increases demand for all housing types, particularly affordable rentals.
How many households are in each town, and how has that changed?
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What is the mix of single-family, multifamily, duplex, manufactured, and condo units?
Who is at risk of losing their housing, and where is the pressure greatest?
What share of renters in each town spend more than 30% of income on housing?
Cost burden broken down by income bracket and tenure. Davidson has the highest severe burden rate (27%) despite its highest median income, likely driven by a small renter population that skews low-income.
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Is cost burden getting better or worse over time?
Trend in burden rate, household count, and severe burden since 2018. 2020–2021 marked the COVID-era eviction moratorium period.
How many renter households are at high displacement risk?
Severely cost-burdened households (50%+ of income on rent) have less than half their income left after housing. They are one unexpected expense away from eviction.
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How many North Meck households are financially vulnerable but invisible to traditional poverty measures?
The Federal Poverty Level (FPL) was designed in the 1960s and does not account for regional cost differences. In North Meck, where costs are high, the FPL misses a large share of struggling households. The ALICE framework (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) fills this gap.
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Who gets to build wealth through homeownership, and who is locked out?
Is there a racial gap in homeownership, and has it widened or narrowed?
Nationally, the Black-white homeownership gap is larger today than it was before the Fair Housing Act. North Meck's own numbers tell a local version of that story.
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What is the racial makeup of each town today?
2024 population share by race/ethnicity across the three North Meck towns.
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How has the racial composition of each town changed since 2018?
Demographic change shapes who can access homeownership and who gets displaced. Rising prices pull in higher-income, whiter households while pushing out lower-income residents of color.
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What does it take to buy a home at different income levels?
Years of gross income needed to buy the median home, by income bracket and town. The lower-income brackets reveal the true scale of exclusion: a household earning $20k–$35k would need over 20 years with nothing spent on anything else.
What do residents earn, and does it reflect true financial vulnerability in North Meck?
Standard poverty measures miss a significant share of struggling households here. This tab explains why, and shows what the data actually reveals.
What is the income distribution across North Meck's three towns?
Median household income by town over time. The high medians conceal wide variation: income inequality within each town is substantial.
How unequal is income distribution within each town?
The Gini coefficient measures income inequality: 0 = perfect equality, 1 = maximum inequality. Cornelius (0.52) has significantly higher inequality than the national average (~0.40), meaning the gap between its wealthiest and most financially vulnerable residents is unusually wide.
How many North Meck households are financially vulnerable but above the federal poverty line?
The ALICE gap is the share of households earning above the FPL but below the ALICE Threshold — the minimum cost of living for housing, food, childcare, transportation, healthcare, and technology. In North Meck, the FPL alone drastically undercounts who is struggling.
Who lacks access to cars, internet, and health insurance?
Select a metric below to see how it varies across towns over time. Renters are consistently more likely than owners to lack a vehicle — a significant barrier in a car-dependent suburb.
How does educational attainment relate to poverty and employment across towns?
High average attainment conceals real pockets of poverty and unemployment. Select a metric to see how each town compares.