Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

History Mecklenburg County is named for Mecklenburg, home of Queen Charlotte[?], eponym of Mecklenburg County's largest city.

James Knox Polk was born here in 1795, in what is now Pineville.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,415 km² (546 mi²). 1,363 km² (526 mi²) of it is land and 52 km² (20 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 3.65% water.

Neighboring counties are Gaston to the west, Iredell to the north, Cabarrus to the northeast, Union to the southeast, Lancaster to the south, and York to the southwest.

Demographics As of the census of 2000, there are 695,454 people, 273,416 households, and 174,986 families residing in the county. The population density is 510/km² (1,322/mi²). There are 292,780 housing units at an average density of 215/km² (556/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 64.02% White, 27.87% African American, 0.35% Native American, 3.15% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.01% from other races, and 1.55% from two or more races. 6.45% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 273,416 households out of which 32.10% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.70% are married couples living together, 12.40% have a female householder with no husband present, and 36.00% are non-families. 27.60% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.90% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.49 and the average family size is 3.06.

In the county the population is spread out with 25.10% under the age of 18, 9.70% from 18 to 24, 36.40% from 25 to 44, 20.30% from 45 to 64, and 8.60% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county is $50,579, and the median income for a family is $60,608. Males have a median income of $40,934 versus $30,100 for females. The per capita income for the county is $27,352. 9.20% of the population and 6.60% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 11.50% are under the age of 18 and 9.30% are 65 or older.

Cities and Towns

• Charlotte
• Cornelius
• Huntersville
• Matthews
• Mint Hill
• Pineville