Charlotte Mecklenburg parks drop in annual rankings
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Mecklenburg County parks rank among the lowest in the country, according to the nonprofit Trust for Public Land.
Why it matters: This year, Charlotte dropped from its 87th spot last year to 90th out of 100 U.S. cities. The main reason for the drop is improvements in other cities rather than changes in Mecklenburg County parks, according to the nonprofit.
The big picture: There are 386 parks in Mecklenburg County, and 39% of county residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, according to the report. This continues to drag the area's ParkScore down.
- Over the last five years, Charlotte/Mecklenburg has fluctuated from 85th in 2023, 83rd in 2022, 91st in 2021 and 95th in 2020.
- Charlotte/Mecklenburg invests $111 per capita on parks, compared to the national average of $113, per the report.
Between the lines: "The biggest place where we're going to improve our score is by acquiring new land or new parks," Bert Lynn, capital planning division director for Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, told Axios in an interview last year.
- 7% of land in Mecklenburg County is used for parks and recreation, while the national median is 15%.
- The county purchased 552 acres for Park and Recreation use in fiscal year 2024, which is up from 499 in 2023 and 295 in 2022.
The other side: Charlotte/Mecklenburg's median park size of 22.3 acres is the largest among the nation's 100 most populous cities and four times the national average of 5.4 acres.
What we're watching: The Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners will adopt the FY2026 budget in June.
- The budget includes $996K to fund the operations of new greenways and park amenities, plus an additional $616K for contracted mowing services and three new full-time employees.
Factors impacting an area's ParkScore include:
- Park access measures how close you live to a park.
- Park equity measures who lives close to a park.
- Park acreage explores an area's median park size and how much of the area is dedicated to parks.
- Park investments look at how much is spent on parks per resident.
- Park amenities include features like dog parks and splashpads.