Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Mecklenburg County. Population: 1,163,701 (metro).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Mecklenburg County, NC falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 44.0 — 2076th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within North Carolina, it ranks 87th of 100 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Mecklenburg County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Housing Cost Burden
Primary DriverDebt & Delinquency
Community Vulnerability
Employment & Wages
Income & Poverty
How Mecklenburg County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County, NC | 44.0 | Normal | — |
| Gaston County, NC | 60.4 | Elevated | +16.4 |
| York County, SC | 46.0 | Normal | +2.0 |
| Cabarrus County, NC | 41.4 | Normal | -2.5 |
| Lancaster County, SC | 39.8 | Normal | -4.2 |
| Lincoln County, NC | 36.9 | Normal | -7.1 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (metro) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denton County, TX | 43.5 | Normal | -0.5 |
| Orange County, CA | 41.9 | Normal | -2.1 |
| San Diego County, CA | 46.3 | Normal | +2.4 |
| Contra Costa County, CA | 41.1 | Normal | -2.9 |
| Salt Lake County, UT | 40.5 | Normal | -3.4 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Mecklenburg County as a CSV file.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina?
Mecklenburg County has a County Distress Index score of 44.0 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,076th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 87th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.
What drives financial distress in Mecklenburg County?
The primary driver of distress in Mecklenburg County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 78.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does Mecklenburg County compare to neighboring counties?
Mecklenburg County (44.0) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Gaston County, NC (60.4); York County, SC (46.0); Cabarrus County, NC (41.4).
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.
What is the population of Mecklenburg County?
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 1,163,701 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.