Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metro Area
The Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area is made up of 11 counties in North Carolina and South Carolina; the largest are Mecklenburg County, York County, and Union County. About 2,938,830 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 10.5% more than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 2,938,830 10.5% more than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 11: 3 central, 8 outlying
- Land area
- 5,597 sq mi (14,497 km²)
- Time zone
- Eastern TimeUTC-05:00 in January; UTC-04:00 in July
- States
- North Carolina, South Carolina
- Combined statistical area
- Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC
- CBSA code
- 16740
Counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg CountyNorth Carolina | Central | 1,233,383 | 42.0% |
| York CountySouth Carolina | Outlying | 306,887 | 10.4% |
| Union CountyNorth Carolina | Central | 267,674 | 9.1% |
| Cabarrus CountyNorth Carolina | Outlying | 249,725 | 8.5% |
| Gaston CountyNorth Carolina | Outlying | 246,558 | 8.4% |
| Iredell CountyNorth Carolina | Central | 211,798 | 7.2% |
| Rowan CountyNorth Carolina | Outlying | 155,096 | 5.3% |
| Lancaster CountySouth Carolina | Outlying | 114,296 | 3.9% |
| Lincoln CountyNorth Carolina | Outlying | 98,654 | 3.4% |
| Chester CountySouth Carolina | Outlying | 33,001 | 1.1% |
| Anson CountyNorth Carolina | Outlying | 21,758 | 0.7% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying county is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central counties, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal cities, largest first
- Charlotte903,844 people
- Concord108,719 people
- Gastonia82,884 people
- Rock Hill75,259 people
- Mooresville52,381 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Part of the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC combined statistical area
OMB joins neighboring metro and micro areas into a combined statistical area when enough people commute between them. The other 4 areas in this one, largest first:
- Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Metro Area376,890 people
- Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC Micro Area103,325 people
- Albemarle, NC Micro Area68,830 people
- Marion, NC Micro Area45,198 people
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Albemarle, NC Micro Area38 mi east
- Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC Micro Area41 mi west
- Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Metro Area46 mi northwest
- Gaffney, SC Micro Area48 mi west
- Rockingham, NC Micro Area63 mi east
- Spartanburg, SC Metro Area65 mi west
- North Wilkesboro, NC Micro Area69 mi north
- Winston-Salem, NC Metro Area70 mi northeast
- Columbia, SC Metro Area81 mi south
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.