Cornelius, NC

Town in Mecklenburg County, NC, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

32,783

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

years ∙ half population younger than 44, half older

Diversity Index

31.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

8.8%

foreign-born population

91.2%Native

8.8% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Cornelius is a town within Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States.

Location

Town in Mecklenburg County, NC, US

Co-ordinates

DEC35.473234° N, 80.881329° W

DMS35° 28′ 23.64″ N, 80° 52′ 52.78″ W

Population Density & area

2,581/sq mi (996.4/km²)

Total Area

13.2 sq mi (34.1 km²)

Land Area

12.7 sq mi (32.9 km²) · 96.5%

Water Area

0.5 sq mi (1.2 km²) · 3.5%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

47.4% male

Male 47.4%

Female 52.6%

males per 100 females

Cornelius 90.1

Mecklenburg County 93.6

North Carolina 95.6

Nativity

8.8%

foreign-born population

91.2%Native

8.8% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Cornelius 8.8%

Mecklenburg County 17.3%

North Carolina 9.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

years ∙ half population younger than 44, half older

Cornelius

Mecklenburg County

35.5

North Carolina

39.1

Dependency ratio

71.9

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Cornelius 71.9

Mecklenburg County 53.3

North Carolina 63.8

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Cornelius	Mecklenburg County	North Carolina
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	21.8%	22.8%	21.8%
Working age (18-64)	58.2%	65.3%	61%
Senior (65+)	20%	11.9%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	71.9	53.3	63.8
Child dependency ratio	37.6	35	35.6
Old-age dependency ratio	34.4	18.3	28.2

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

82%

Black

3.5%

Asian

3.1%

Hispanic

5.4%

Other

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

31.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Cornelius 31.9%

Mecklenburg County 69.4%

North Carolina 58.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Cornelius population

Racial and ethnic composition — Cornelius vs Mecklenburg County vs North Carolina. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Cornelius	Mecklenburg County	North Carolina
Hispanic or Latino	5.4%	16%	11.3%
Mexican	1.3%	5.4%	5.6%
Puerto Rican	0.8%	1.1%	1.3%
Cuban	0.3%	0.6%	0.3%
Other Hispanic / Latino	2.9%	8.9%	4.1%
Not Hispanic or Latino	94.6%	84%	88.7%
One race	89%	79.9%	84.6%
White	82%	43.2%	60%
Black or African American	3.5%	29.7%	20%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0.1%	0.8%
Asian	3.1%	6.3%	3.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.1%
Some Other Race	0.3%	0.5%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	5.6%	4.1%	4.1%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

66% family

Family 66%

Non family 34%

% family households

Cornelius 66%

Mecklenburg County 58.1%

North Carolina 64.3%

Average household size

2.36

persons per household

Cornelius

2.36

Mecklenburg County

2.44

North Carolina

2.44

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Cornelius population

	Cornelius	Mecklenburg County	North Carolina
Total households	13,884	466,527	4,282,345
Average houshold size	2.36	2.44	2.44
Family households	9,164	270,986	2,753,022
Average family size	2.93	3.2	3.03
Married couple family	7,621	192,305	2,021,951
Other families	1,543	78,681	731,071
Male householder	288	20,766	195,051
Female householder	1,255	57,915	536,020
Non-family households	4,720	195,541	1,529,323
One-person households	3,948	157,589	1,258,822
Male householder	1,671	68,456	544,050
Senior (65+) living alone	272	10,391	160,332
Female householder	2,277	89,133	714,772
Senior (65+) living alone	1,086	26,874	342,051
Other living arrangements	772	37,952	270,501

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

14,956

housing units

Cornelius 14,956

Mecklenburg County 503,071

North Carolina 4,895,668

Occupancy status

92.8% occupied

Occupied 92.8%

Vacant 7.2%

vacancy rate

Cornelius 7.2%

Mecklenburg County 7.3%

North Carolina 12.5%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

69.7%

Single family houses

69.7%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

29.6%

Mobile homes

0.8%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

2002

Half of houses were built before 2002, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

0.9%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

4.1%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

39.4%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

55.6%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Cornelius	Mecklenburg County	North Carolina
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.4	5.4	5.6
1–3 rooms	9.7%	17.5%	11.4%
4–6 rooms	42.4%	49.3%	54.9%
7+ rooms	47.9%	33.2%	33.6%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0.4%	2.9%	1.9%
1 bedroom	7.5%	12.9%	7.1%
2 bedrooms	24.2%	24.3%	23.8%
3 bedrooms	34.8%	35.1%	46.2%
4+ bedrooms	33%	24.7%	21%
At a glance
Median year built	2002	1997	1992
Total housing units	14,956	503,071	4,895,668

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

69.5% owners

Renter-occupied 30.5%

Owner-occupied 69.5%

homeownership rate

Cornelius 69.5%

Mecklenburg County 55.1%

North Carolina 66.6%

Average household size

2.54

Owner-occupied

1.96

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Cornelius 2.54

Mecklenburg County 2.63

North Carolina 2.54

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Cornelius	Mecklenburg County	North Carolina
Total occupied units	13,884	466,527	4,282,345
Year moved in
2020 or later	31.7%	33.9%	26.2%
2010 to 2019	46.6%	40.9%	39.2%
2000 to 2009	14.5%	14.6%	16.2%
1999 or earlier	7.2%	10.5%	18.5%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.9%	97.5%	97.8%
1.01 to 1.50	1.1%	1.7%	1.5%
1.51 or more	0%	0.8%	0.7%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	2.9%	5.8%	5.3%
1 vehicle	36%	39%	31.4%
2 vehicles	40.2%	38.2%	38%
3 or more vehicles	20.9%	17%	25.2%
House heating fuel used
Gas	56.9%	46.8%	30.5%
Electricity	41.8%	52.4%	65.5%
Solar	0%	0%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.3%	0.2%	2%
All other fuels	0.1%	0.2%	1.3%
No fuel used	0.8%	0.4%	0.7%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.4%	0.3%	0.3%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.4%	0.5%	0.6%
No telephone service available	0.4%	0.7%	0.8%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$559,400

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Cornelius

$559,400

Mecklenburg County

$406,800

North Carolina

$288,900

Housing Cost Burden

23.6%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

23.6%

Owners without a mortgage

10.5%

Renters

48.9%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Cornelius	Mecklenburg County	North Carolina
Property value
Median Value	$559,400	$406,800	$288,900
Under $100,000	2.4%	3.8%	12.7%
$100,000 - $200,000	2.9%	7.1%	18.9%
$200,000 - $300,000	8.9%	16.9%	20.5%
$300,000 - $500,000	30.7%	38.2%	28.3%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	30.6%	25.8%	16.3%
$1,000,000 and more	24.5%	8.2%	3.3%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	70.4%	74%	61.3%
Without a mortgage	29.6%	26%	38.7%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$2,282	$1,893	$1,631
Without a mortgage	$759	$624	$490
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,722	$1,627	$1,228

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

62.2%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Cornelius 62.2%

Mecklenburg County 49.2%

North Carolina 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

2.5%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Cornelius 2.5%

Mecklenburg County 9.3%

North Carolina 9.9%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

7,848

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

7.6%

K–12

70.5%

College / Undergraduate

16.8%

Graduate / Professional

5.1%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

50.6%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Cornelius

50.6%

Mecklenburg County

38.1%

North Carolina

39.3%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Cornelius	Mecklenburg County	North Carolina
Total enrolled (age 3+)	7,848	273,733	2,530,102
Nursery / preschool	7.6%	6.7%	5.3%
K–12	70.5%	67.3%	67.4%
Kindergarten	2.8%	5%	4.9%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	19.3%	20.4%	20%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	25.8%	20.7%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	22.6%	21.2%	21.5%
College or graduate school	21.9%	26%	27.3%
College, undergraduate	16.8%	19.9%	21.7%
Graduate, professional school	5.1%	6.1%	5.6%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	50.6%	38.1%	39.3%
School type
Public school	74.6%	81.6%	82.3%
Private school	25.4%	18.4%	17.7%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

23,692

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

1.5%

9th-12th, no diploma

HS graduate

11.3%

Some college no degree

15.8%

Associates degree

8.2%

Bachelors degree

40.1%

Graduate or professional degree

22.1%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

80.8% · 19.2%

9th-12th, no diploma

91.8% · 8.2%

HS graduate

38.2% · 61.8%

Some college no degree

49% · 51%

Associates degree

30.2% · 69.8%

Bachelors degree

47.8% · 52.2%

Graduate or professional degree

50.3% · 49.7%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Cornelius	Mecklenburg County	North Carolina
Population (25+)	23,692	784,974	7,380,330
Less than 9th grade	1.5%	4.9%	3.9%
9th–12th, no diploma	1%	4.4%	6%
High school diploma or GED	11.3%	16.5%	24.8%
Some college, no degree	15.8%	17%	19.6%
Associate's degree	8.2%	8.1%	10.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	62.2%	49.2%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	40.1%	31.4%	22.2%
Graduate or professional	22.1%	17.9%	13.5%
High School or higher	97.5%	90.8%	90.1%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$73,656

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$25,255

HS graduate

$44,030

Some college or associates

$59,510

Bachelors degree

$88,510

Graduate or professional degree

$111,383

Poverty Rate

3.6%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

14.5%

HS graduate

6.2%

Some college or associates

8.7%

Bachelors degree or higher

3.6%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Cornelius	Mecklenburg County	North Carolina
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$73,656	$57,733	$49,275
Less than high school graduate	$25,255	$31,386	$31,234
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$44,030	$39,097	$37,346
Some college or associate's degree	$59,510	$46,254	$43,525
Bachelor's degree	$88,510	$76,152	$64,395
Graduate or professional degree	$111,383	$93,461	$80,986
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	14.5%	22.3%	26.6%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	6.2%	13.2%	15.2%
Some college or associate's degree	8.7%	8.7%	10%
Bachelor's degree or higher	3.6%	3.5%	4.2%

Insights for Cornelius, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

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