Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.
Place dossier plate
SheetMI-CHARLOTTE-MI · Charlotte, MI 9,269 pop · income 40th pct · 29 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Charlotte
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Charlotte on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Benton Harbor · lowest
29,652
Benton Harbor · lowest
29,652 median HH income
16.3% of the leader · rank #1
Anchor Point · near
63,382
Anchor Point · near
63,382 median HH income
34.9% of the leader · rank #2
Auburn · near
63,382
Auburn · near
63,382 median HH income
34.9% of the leader · rank #3
Charlotte · this city
63,385
Charlotte · this city
63,385 median HH income
34.9% of the leader · rank #4
Seymour · near
63,388
Seymour · near
63,388 median HH income
34.9% of the leader · rank #5
Fairmount · near
63,393
Fairmount · near
63,393 median HH income
34.9% of the leader · rank #6
Woodbury · highest
181,667
Woodbury · highest
181,667 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Charlotte on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 9,269.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Charlotte - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Charlotte places in the 40th percentile for household income and the 26th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
40th
percentile, household income
24th
percentile, home value
32nd
percentile, median rent
26th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Charlotte, MI
9,269 people live in Charlotte, Michigan - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Charlotte report a median income of $63,385 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.1%. Charlotte's housing stock carries a median value of $140,500, and the median resident age is 35.9 years. 17.4% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 56.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 0 residential units were authorized in 2024 (No Permits), down 100% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 2297.9 incidents per 100,000 residents, near the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 47.3°F with 35.8 inches of precipitation per year and 38.1 inches of snowfall.
Living costs in Michigan run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Michigan at 96.2 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,113 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Michigan run around $238, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.6 out of 100 (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Charlotte's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to reported crime to housing and income to population change to comparison shortlist to climate and hazard context to within-city variation to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Charlotte, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, local building permits, matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, within-city Census tract profiles.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Charlotte?
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 17.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Charlotte?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2297.9 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, near the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 1% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Which cities make useful reference points for Charlotte?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Michigan, the closest population matches are Plymouth (9,234 residents, $111,742 income); Ecorse (9,170 residents, $45,082 income); Alma (9,421 residents, $50,506 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Woodbury, NY (9,270 residents); Delta, CO (9,266 residents); Warren, PA (9,273 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
What can 29 Census tracts reveal inside Charlotte?
PlainCities matches 29 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Charlotte?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 7.1%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
2.2×
Home value
$140,500
Household income
$63,385
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Is Charlotte growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +15 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +0.2% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 0 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
2020 estimate
9,290
2025 estimate
9,305
Period change
+0.2%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 47.3°F, with 35.8 inches of precipitation and 38.1 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Michigan is 49.6 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
FEMA risk index (state avg)
49.6
Annual precipitation
35.8 in
Mean temperature
47.3°F
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
What does the journey to work look like in Charlotte?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 72.9%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
72.9%
Work from home
11.1%
Public transit
0.6%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 4,148 workers age 16+.
Below median income · poverty 7.1% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
96.2 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Michigan average
D
City profile score · Charlotte, MI
40/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living C
96.2 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Poverty rate C-
7.1%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income D
$63,385
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share F
17.4%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime F
423 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Charlotte profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 57/100 (C) · 96.2 index
Poverty rate: 52/100 (C-) · 7.1%
Household income: 40/100 (D) · $63,385
Bachelor's+ share: 27/100 (F) · 17.4%
Violent crime: 21/100 (F) · 423 /100k
Where Charlotte sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Charlotte's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Charlotte highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Charlotte, MI (this city): home $140,500, crime 2,298/100k
Delta, CO : home $238,100, crime 3,424/100k
Warren, PA : home $101,600, crime 1,836/100k
Blanchard, OK : home $259,100, crime 797/100k
Andover, MA : home $719,900, crime 872/100k
Plymouth, MI : home $418,200, crime 1,023/100k
Alma, MI : home $108,100, crime 1,469/100k
Lapeer, MI : home $165,300, crime 1,813/100k
Benton Harbor, MI : home $75,500, crime 7,372/100k
Saline, MI : home $310,600, crime 1,220/100k
How does Charlotte compare to other US cities?
Charlotte measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income40% higher than other cities
Home value24% pricier than other cities
Median rent32% pricier than other cities
Safety26% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Michigan, Charlotte ranks #198 of 254 Michigan cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Charlotte against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Michigan only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Michigan-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Charlotte near the bottom of Michigan's cities
Among the 727 Michigan cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Charlotte ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Charlotte only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#307 of 718
57th percentile in Michigan
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 727
0th percentile in Michigan
Median Home Value
#394 of 721
45th percentile in Michigan
Poverty Rate
#403 of 727
44th percentile in Michigan
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#410 of 727
43rd percentile in Michigan
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Michigan only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
40th percentile nationally for median household income · 26th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Charlotte's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Charlotte's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Charlotte's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$140,500Among the most affordablemore affordable than 76% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. 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 U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Charlotte's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.2×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#2,538 of 15,516
More affordable than 84% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#2,374 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.2×, Charlotte sits in the affordable band:
national rank #2,538 of 15,516 and #2,374 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$63,385Charlotte, MI median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Charlotte, MI median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Charlotte, MI.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)17.4%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)7.1%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)56.9%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
9,269
Median Income
$63,385
Median Home Value
$140,500
Median Age
35.9
Poverty Rate
7.1%
Labor force participation
56.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
17.4%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2297.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
422.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1875.1
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
47.3°F
Annual Precipitation
35.8"
Annual Snowfall
38.1"
Schools
Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Charlotte's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
9,290 residents
2021
9,256 residents
2022
9,245 residents
2023
9,252 residents
2024
9,272 residents
2025
9,305 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
3
3
0
$0.5M
2020
3
3
0
$0.5M
2021
0
0
0
-
2022
0
0
0
-
Permit volume decreased 100% from 2019 to 2022.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
72.9%
Carpool
9.1%
Public Transit
0.6%
Walk
3.8%
Work from Home
11.1%
Other
2.5%
Based on 4,148 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Michigan statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $238
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Michigan at $238 (electricity about $105 , water and sewer about $48 ).
These are Michigan statewide averages, not a meter reading for Charlotte. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Michigan's BEA cost-of-living index is 96.2 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Charlotte is $1,113/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Michigan statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.6 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Michigan statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Charlotte sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Charlotte compares to similar-size Michigan cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.