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Living in
Waxhaw.
About
Life in Waxhaw
This is a booming bedroom community just four miles south of Charlotte, and it's grown explosively—the population more than doubled between 2010 and 2020—which means you're getting suburban convenience without being downtown, but also dealing with all the sprawl and car dependency that comes with it. The median household income sits at $132,000, well over double North Carolina's state average, and the median home price is around $549,000, so this is a solidly affluent area where you'll find mostly married-couple households (71.8%) with kids (58.8% of homes have children), making it feel family-oriented but less diverse in terms of household structure. Your commute to Charlotte jobs will average about 31 minutes, which is reasonable for the region, and the local job market is strong with unemployment under 3.3%, though most people aren't working locally—they're commuting out for better opportunities.
Waxhaw at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
36.2 yrs
Poverty Rate
4.5%
Foreign-Born
15.6%
Broadband Internet
97.1%
of households
Population Growth
+12.6%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics15.6% foreign-born, most often from India
Who lives in Waxhaw: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Waxhaw, the largest foreign-born group is from India (13.5%), and 6.5% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
33.1%
of residents
65 and Older
8.4%
of residents
Households with Kids
59.4%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
12.2%
of households
Married Couples
67.0%
of households
Avg Household Size
3.26
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 50% above NC average
Rent, home values, and income in Waxhaw
In Waxhaw, rent runs 50% above the NC average, and home values are 90% above the NC average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
30.0%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
20.4%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
97.3
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$3,906
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
83.0%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
2010
median year built
Home Value Trend
Latest: $700,136 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.4 pts below NC average
Unemployment in Waxhaw
Unemployment in Union County, which includes Waxhaw, is 0.4 percentage points lower than the NC average.
Unemployment rate
Waxhaw: Union County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Union County (county-wide) · Annual averages
What Waxhaw Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute32 min avg
How Waxhaw residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Waxhaw, most residents drive alone to work (63%), and 48% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 23 mi
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
Major hub25.9M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 86% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Waxhaw runs 86% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
46.2
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
356.8
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
Waxhaw Police Department
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 8 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Moderate
89.1 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Union County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Union County, which includes Waxhaw, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 8 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | Thunderstorm Wind | $150,000 |
| 2024 | 10 | Thunderstorm Wind | $2.0M |
| 2023 | 5 | Thunderstorm Wind | $30,000 |
| 2022 | 14 | Thunderstorm Wind | $500 |
| 2021 | 1 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2020 | 11 | Thunderstorm Wind | $12,000 |
| 2019 | 4 | Thunderstorm Wind | $5,000 |
| 2018 | 12 | Thunderstorm Wind | $161,000 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
3 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Union County, county-wide
Air Quality40 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Union County, which includes Waxhaw, is typically good.
Median AQI
40
Union County, county-wide
Climate89°F summers, 34°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Waxhaw has warm summers (avg high 89°F) and mild winters (avg low 34°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
73°/49°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
89°/67°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
73°/51°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
55°/34°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
45.1"
Annual Snowfall
2.6"
Hot Days/Year
51
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
58
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
113
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53°F | 32°F | 3.00" |
| Feb | 57°F | 35°F | 2.77" |
| Mar | 64°F | 41°F | 3.19" |
| Apr | 73°F | 49°F | 2.90" |
| May | 80°F | 57°F | 2.89" |
| Jun | 87°F | 65°F | 3.73" |
| Jul | 91°F | 69°F | 3.63" |
| Aug | 89°F | 68°F | 3.79" |
| Sep | 83°F | 62°F | 3.18" |
| Oct | 73°F | 50°F | 2.97" |
| Nov | 63°F | 40°F | 2.91" |
| Dec | 55°F | 34°F | 2.96" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Waxhaw
Uninsured
4.8%
of residents
No hospitals inside Waxhaw's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
Rebound Behavioral Health
Psychiatric · ER available · 5.9 mi away · Lancaster
Novant Health Ballantyne Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 9.2 mi away · Charlotte
Atrium Health Pineville
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 12.8 mi away · Charlotte
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education15.1:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Waxhaw
Waxhaw's student/teacher ratio is 15.1:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 55.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
3
within city limits
Private Schools
0
within city limits
College Degree Rate
55.0%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
15.1:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Parks & Recreationclosest: Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, 38 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Waxhaw
Waxhaw has 7 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (38 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail
National Historic Trail
38 mi awayKings Mountain National Military Park
National Military Park
39 mi awayCowpens National Battlefield
National Battlefield
62 mi awayCongaree National Park
National Park
79 mi awayNinety Six National Historic Site
National Historic Site
91 mi awayGuilford Courthouse National Military Park
National Military Park
97 mi awayCarl Sandburg Home National Historic Site
National Historic Site
99 mi awayPublic Libraries in Waxhaw
Waxhaw Library
509 S Providence St, Waxhaw
Cities Near Waxhaw
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Waxhaw?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Waxhaw FAQ
Is Waxhaw, North Carolina affordable?⌄
Waxhaw's median rent is $1,840/month, which is above the national average. The median household income is $131,894/year. Median home value is $549,400.
Is Waxhaw, North Carolina safe?⌄
Waxhaw's violent crime rate was 46 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 357 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Waxhaw, North Carolina?⌄
Union County, which includes Waxhaw, has an unemployment rate of 3.4%, which is solid, slightly below the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Waxhaw, North Carolina?⌄
The cost of living in Waxhaw is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,840/month and median household income is $131,894/year. The median home value is $549,400. About 30% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Waxhaw, North Carolina?⌄
The average commute in Waxhaw is 32 minutes, which is longer than average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from