Best Places28104, NC Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 28104, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Local pay runs high here, and housing takes the biggest bite out of it. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
28104 ranks 352nd of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on good schools by a wide margin, and an overheated housing market is the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in 28104
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
28104's strengths and weaknesses
Where 28104 ranks high
- School gradeA+, better than 98% of zip codes
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than 98% of zip codes
- Voter turnoutBetter than 96% of zip codes
- Household income$144,236 median, better than 95% of zip codes
- Educational attainmentBetter than 91% of zip codes
Where 28104 ranks low
- Housing crash safetyBetter than only 16% of zip codes
- Nice weatherabout 73 pleasant days a year, better than only 32% of zip codes
- TransitBetter than only 35% of zip codes
- Short commute28.2 minutes each way, better than only 38% of zip codes
- Air qualityBetter than only 42% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 28104
A household needs to earn about $149,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 28104 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is only a little above the area's median income of $144,236; the gap is small, which keeps homes within reach of local pay.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses 28104's effective rate of 0.57%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices and rents, renting stays cheaper than buying across the first 10 years here, so the case for buying rests on staying much longer or on prices rising faster than assumed. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 28104
28104's age mix sits close to the national median, and households here run larger than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 28104.
Who works in 28104, and how
Work in 28104 centers on finance & insurance and retail trade. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 72%
- Work from home 27%
- Transit, walk, or bike 1%
Life in 28104
28104 has fewer places to eat and drink per resident than most zip codes. That concentrates in some parts of 28104 and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in 28104, month by month
28104 sees roughly 73 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 92 degrees. January highs sit near 56, with lows near 32. The comfortable stretch runs March through May, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 43° | 32° |
| April | 76° | 62° | 49° |
| July | 92° | 80° | 70° |
| October | 77° | 63° | 51° |
Flying in and out of 28104
Charlotte/Douglas International sits about 18 miles away. It is a large hub and boarded 25.9 million passengers in 2025, with 213 nonstop destinations.
The best schools in and around 28104
Schools across 28104 average an A+, better than 98% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Weddington ElementaryA+ · 91% proficient
- Antioch ElementaryA+ · 85% proficient
- Wesley Chapel ElementaryA+ · 83% proficient
Top middle schools
- Weddington MiddleA+ · 88% proficient
- Jay M. Robinson MiddleA+ · 84% proficient
- Porter Ridge Middle SchoolA · 66% proficient
Top high schools
- Levine Middle College High SchA+ · 98% proficient
- Union County Early CollegeA+ · 90% proficient
- Weddington HighA+ · 89% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 28104 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
28104 measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare 28104 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Who 28104 suits
Remote workers
Cost of living against local pay beats 98% of zip codes, internet is fast and widely advertised, and 27% already work from home.
Common questions about living in 28104
Is 28104 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 28104 ranks 352nd of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on good schools, what local pay buys, and civic engagement, and lowest on an overheated housing market and the weather. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 28104 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $587,351. The overall cost of living runs about 8% below the national average. Set against a $144,236 median income, cost of living beats 98% of zip codes.
Is 28104 safe?
Yes, 28104 is safer than 85% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $230 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in 28104?
July highs average about 92 degrees, and January highs near 56 with lows near 32. That works out to about 73 pleasant days a year, more than 32% of zip codes.
Is 28104 good for families?
Schools beat 98% of zip codes, crime safety beats 85%, and childcare runs $920 a month.
Compare 28104 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 28104. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 28104 represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
28104 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 28104: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 28104: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 28104: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 28104: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
28104 detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.