Best PlacesUniversity City South, Charlotte, NC Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around University City South, Charlotte, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
University City South, Charlotte ranks 4,514th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on state finances by a wide margin, and empty homes are the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in University City South, Charlotte
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.
University City South, Charlotte's strengths and weaknesses
Where University City South, Charlotte ranks high
- State fiscal healthBetter than 94% of neighborhoods
- Cheap car insuranceBetter than 92% of neighborhoods
- Health outlookBetter than 91% of neighborhoods
- Disaster safetyBetter than 86% of neighborhoods
- Heat safetyBetter than 85% of neighborhoods
Where University City South, Charlotte ranks low
- Low vacancyBetter than only 1% of neighborhoods
- Household income$37,143 median, better than only 5% of neighborhoods
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than only 6% of neighborhoods
- Housing crash safetyBetter than only 15% of neighborhoods
- Crime safetyBetter than only 17% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in University City South, Charlotte
A household needs to earn about $61,000 a year to comfortably buy the median University City South, Charlotte home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $37,143, so buying stretches a typical household.
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 University City South, Charlotte's effective rate of 0.69%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 8 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in University City South, Charlotte
University City South, Charlotte runs younger than the country, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for University City South, Charlotte.
Who works in University City South, Charlotte, and how
Work in University City South, Charlotte centers on education and hospitality & food. Unemployment runs well above the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 57%
- Work from home 23%
- Transit, walk, or bike 20%
Life in University City South, Charlotte
University City South, Charlotte has more restaurants and bars per resident than 83% of neighborhoods. That concentrates in some parts of University City South, Charlotte and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in University City South, Charlotte, month by month
University City South, Charlotte sees roughly 79 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 91 degrees. January highs sit near 52, with lows near 34. The comfortable stretch runs March through May, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 43° | 34° |
| April | 74° | 62° | 51° |
| July | 91° | 80° | 71° |
| October | 75° | 63° | 52° |
Flying in and out of University City South, Charlotte
The nearest airport, Concord-Padgett Regional, is about 6 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Charlotte/Douglas International, about 14 miles away.
The best schools in and around University City South, Charlotte
Schools across University City South, Charlotte average a B−, better than 80% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- University Meadows ElementaryC · 32% proficient
Top middle schools
- James Martin MiddleC− · 30% proficient
Top high schools
- Levine Middle College High SchA+ · 98% proficient
- Cato Middle College High SchoolA+ · 90% proficient
- Char Eng Early College-unccA+ · 87% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every University City South, Charlotte school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
University City South, Charlotte 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 University City South, Charlotte against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in University City South, Charlotte
Is University City South, Charlotte a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, University City South, Charlotte ranks 4,514th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on state finances, cheap car insurance, and population health, and lowest on empty homes and low incomes. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is University City South, Charlotte expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $237,800. The overall cost of living runs about 14% below the national average. Set against a $37,143 median income, cost of living beats 6% of neighborhoods.
Is University City South, Charlotte safe?
University City South, Charlotte is safer than 17% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $882 per resident a year.
Compare University City South, Charlotte with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to University City South, Charlotte. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in University City South, Charlotte 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.
University City South, Charlotte detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for University City South, Charlotte: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in University City South, Charlotte: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of University City South, Charlotte: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in University City South, Charlotte: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
University City South, Charlotte 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.