Moving Here? Start Here
Four steps for planning a move to Greater Charlotte, whether you're coming from across the country or across town.
1 Choose an area
"Charlotte" often means the whole region. Before you compare homes, know which kind of place you're looking at:
- Charlotte neighborhoods such as Dilworth, NoDa, and SouthPark are inside the City of Charlotte and share city services.
- Separate towns and cities such as Huntersville, Matthews, and Belmont have their own local governments, taxes, and services.
- South Carolina communities such as Fort Mill, Rock Hill, and Indian Land are in a different state, with different state taxes and rules.
Visit at the times you'd actually live there: a weekday morning, a Friday evening, and a Saturday. Look at the homes, the streets, and the errands you'd run.
Charlotte neighborhoods
Uptown, SouthPark, Ballantyne, NoDa, Plaza Midwood, Dilworth, East Charlotte
North Carolina towns and cities
Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, Mooresville, Statesville, Concord, Kannapolis, Salisbury, Locust, Matthews, Waxhaw, Belmont, Mount Holly, Gastonia, Kings Mountain, Shelby
South Carolina towns and communities
Fort Mill, Tega Cay, Rock Hill, Indian Land, Lancaster, Lake Wylie, Clover, York, Richburg
2 Understand your commute
The region is organized around a few corridors: I-77 north toward the lake towns and south into South Carolina, I-85 to the northeast and west, US-74 to the southeast, and the I-485 loop around the city.
- Test the drive at rush hour, in both directions, before you commit to an address.
- If transit matters to you, check routes and schedules with the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), which runs the LYNX light rail and local buses.
- Ask about planned road work. Our New & Next tracker lists projects with their verified status.
3 Budget across two states
The price of a home is only part of the monthly cost. Compare these for each area on your list:
- Property taxes. Rates are set by the county and, inside a town or city, by the municipality too. In South Carolina, a primary residence can qualify for a lower assessment ratio, but you have to apply with the county.
- State income tax. North Carolina and South Carolina tax income differently. Check the NC Department of Revenue and the SC Department of Revenue, or ask a tax professional.
- Vehicle taxes. Both states charge property tax on vehicles, collected in different ways.
- HOA dues, insurance, and utilities. These vary by community and by provider. Ask for actual figures for any home you consider.
This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice.
4 Get settled
Once you have an address, work through the basics:
- Switch your driver's license and vehicle registration: NC DMV or SC DMV. Both states set deadlines for new residents, so check the current rules.
- Register to vote: NC State Board of Elections or SC Election Commission.
- Set up utilities. Water and trash service depend on your town or county; inside Charlotte, start with Charlotte Water.
- Look up school information on the NC School Report Cards or SC School Report Cards site, and confirm school assignment for your address with the district.
- Find out how your county handles property tax bills and, in South Carolina, the primary residence application.
Then explore. Living in Charlotte and upcoming events are good places to start.