By the numbers: How Uptown and South End are growing
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo: Alexandria Sands
Charlotte Center City Partners released its annual "State of the Center City" report on Thursday, offering a data-packed snapshot of Uptown, South End and midtown.
Why it matters: The report is intended to "woo" executives, developers and investors who may want to move a company here, build a skyscraper or make another kind of economic splash.
- Beyond its business purpose, the report provides a fascinating glance at how Charlotte's urban core is evolving.
Let's take a look at some of the stats:
Who's living in Uptown and South End
73,000+: Residents in the center city (up from 67,000+ in 2022)
Uptown
- 33: Median age (unchanged from the 2024 report)
- $1,950: Average rent
- 590+: Apartments under construction
- $87,000: Median household income
South End
- 30: Median age (30 in 2023, 29 in 2023, 28 in 2022)
- $2,100: Average rent
- 2,660+: Apartments under construction
- $100,000: Median household income
Uptown's busiest days of 2024
The 10 days with the highest Uptown visits in 2024 were all driven by sporting events or concerts at Bank of America Stadium and Spectrum Center.
266,000 — Oct. 26 (Concert for Carolina and the Charlotte Hornets home opener)
258,000 — Oct. 19 (Morgan Wallen concert at Bank of America Stadium)
245,000 — Oct. 18 (Morgan Wallen concert at Bank of America Stadium)
- Biggest day ahead? Center City Partners hopes to get close to 300,000 visitors on May 3, when Kendrick Lamar and SZA are performing at Bank of America Stadium, and Lovin' Life Music Fest is happening simultaneously.
Development pipeline
$3.7 billion: Development under construction and forecasted to break ground in 2026, including:
- 2.2 million square feet of office
- 338,800+ square feet of retail
- 1,630+ hotel rooms
- 7,110+ apartment units
Development over time:
- 2024 report: $4.2 billion
- 2023 report: $6.9 billion
- 2022 report: $4 billion
People returning to work
81%: The frequency of people working (at least three days a week in an office) in Uptown and South End at pre-pandemic levels — up from approximately 70% in 2023
New businesses in 2024
34: New businesses opened in Uptown
25: New businesses opened in South End
Other stats
70%: UNC Charlotte graduates who stay in Charlotte after graduating
$414K: Median home price in the Charlotte metro in 2023
$45: Average office rent per square foot in Charlotte (Compare that to $68 in Austin)
125K+: People estimated to work in center city daily
117: People moving to Charlotte every day
Editor's note: This story has been corrected throughout to show the development pipeline's expected office and retail space as well as the number of hotel rooms and apartments.