Overview

The Charlotte Regional Indicators Project measures 54 indicators in ten theme areas: Arts, Recreation and Cultural Life; Economy; Education; Environment; Government and Citizen Participation; Health; Housing; Public Safety; Social Well-Being; and Transportation. Overall, the indicators show the Charlotte region is performing well, but there are challenges to be addressed. Two key observations emerge from the inaugural indicators report: one, population growth in the region is driving a great deal of change; and two, while there are many shared features, many significant differences across the region’s counties remain.

Many of the challenges facing the region are the product of a rapidly growing population. As of 2005, the 14-county, two-state region was home to 2.2 million people. The region’s population increased by at least 15 percent during every decade from 1960 to 1990. In the 1990s, population increased by 26 percent, and the region added another 200,000 people from 2000 to 2005. Most of this population growth comes from those migrating to the Charlotte region from other parts of the country. The region has also experienced an increase in racial diversity. The region’s population will continue to grow – the region is expected to be home to some 3.3 million people by 2030.

Arts and cultural activities in the region appear to be faring well. Per capita grants expenditures on arts and cultural activities have risen. In the face of dramatic population growth, the region’s libraries have maintained funding levels, but per capita library print holdings have fallen. The number of students graduating with a degree in the arts has risen, suggesting a promising future for the region’s arts and cultural offerings.
The region’s economy continues to perform well. The region’s workforce has steadily grown, while the unemployment rate in 2006 was lower than that for any year since 2000. The manufacturing industry remains the largest employer in the region, but its dominance has diminished as industries like health care and financial services have increased employment in recent years. Despite population growth, the total number of businesses in the region remained fairly steady from 2000 to 2005, but Mecklenburg County – while still home to the largest percentage of the region’s businesses – has lost some of this share in recent years. The average annual wage for the region increased from 2000 to 2005, as did per capita income, which is higher in this region than in either North Carolina or South Carolina as a whole. Median household income has risen in most counties, but most counties in the region also had a lower median household income than their respective state. Closer analysis of economic figures reveals significant differences within the region. Overall labor force figures are strong, but some counties are struggling with unemployment. Similarly, some industries are growing and paying higher wages, while other industries’ wage levels have not risen (and in some cases even fallen). Along the same lines, the per capita income and median household income figures together suggest that the region’s economic growth has not been distributed evenly.

Education figures also demonstrate the effects of population growth and indicate disparities across the region. For instance, public school enrollment has grown substantially in some school districts, while parts of the region have seen declines in enrollment. The region’s newcomers seem to be highly educated, as the region’s percentage of college graduates has risen. Nevertheless, of all counties, only Mecklenburg County exceeds the national percentage of workers with a college education. The region’s SAT scores have remained relatively constant, at just below the national average. Graduation rates vary widely between school districts, as do students’ reported plans for higher education. Per pupil expenditures have risen slightly, but still remain below the national average. In the area of capital expenditures, there are large differences between districts, as those experiencing more enrollment growth spend more.

The region’s environment has also been affected by population growth. While growth has had an undeniable impact on the region, for some indicators the region has experienced a reduction in the average impact per person. The Air Quality Index has recorded fewer unhealthy days over the last decade. Average water consumption per person, too, has declined – an important trend in light of the recent drought, yet with population growth even more conservation will be required. In contrast, the average amount of solid waste discarded per person has risen in the region. The region’s population growth has been accompanied by an increase in the amount of land converted from natural or agricultural uses to development. Nevertheless, preliminary data from a UNC Charlotte study show an encouraging trend: the amount of developed land per person has fallen slightly in Mecklenburg and Union counties, even as it has increased slightly in Cabarrus County. (Data for the region’s remaining counties is anticipated in early Spring of 2008.)

Measures of government and citizen participation focused on voter participation and charitable activity in the region. Voter turnout in the region was consistent with levels for North Carolina as a whole, but lower than turnout rates in South Carolina. As expected, turnout was higher in years including a presidential election. The region’s number of public charities rose from 2004 to 2007, but the number of such organizations reporting income of $25,000 or more fell during that time period. The number of private foundations in the region fell sharply from 2004 to 2007. Per capita giving to both public charities and private foundations remained relatively stable from 2001 to 2004, although per capita giving to public charities was lower in the region than in North Carolina (and a littler higher than in South Carolina) as a whole and per capita giving to private foundations was higher than in North Carolina or South Carolina.

Data regarding the health of the region’s population reveal some troubling disparities within the region. The region’s birth rate is stable at a level just above the state averages. The infant mortality rate for the region is slightly higher than that for North Carolina. But the minority infant mortality rate is much higher than the infant mortality rate for the white population. The overall mortality rate for the region is higher than the mortality rates of either North Carolina or South Carolina, but the mortality rates associated with heart disease and cancer have both declined in recent years. The region’s suicide rate is higher than either state’s rate, and within the region there are large variations in the suicide rate across counties. The rates of incidence for the sexually transmitted diseases gonorrhea and chlamydia have risen in recent years, but the STD rates in the region are lower than the rates for either state.

Trends in the region’s housing supply and markets also reflect population growth. From 2000 to 2005, the number of housing units in the region increased at a rate faster than population growth. The mix of housing did not change much from 1990 to 2000 – single-family homes predominate, followed by multifamily housing and then mobile homes. The region’s home ownership rate is in line with state figures and remained stable from 1990 to 2000. New home construction in the region varied a little from 2000 to 2006, but there were significant differences across the counties. The average cost of new construction increased every year from 2000 to 2006. Home sales in the region increased from 2005 to 2006, but per capita closings were down in the first quarter of 2007 (as compared to the first quarter of 2006). The average sales price rose from 2005 to 2006, but once again, there were large disparities between the counties of the region. Apartment vacancy rates rose from 2000 to 2002, but fell from then until 2006. The average rental rate has risen and fallen since 2000, but is most recently on an upward trend.
Indicators of the region’s public safety show some positive trends. The average crime index for counties in the region has fallen since 2000. The number of people involved in motor vehicle accidents decreased, as did the number of investigated workplace fatalities in the region. Many of the region’s educational institutions offer degrees related to public safety. And all counties have engaged in some degree of emergency planning. The data also show that the number of 911 calls per person increased slightly from 2005 to 2006. The number of people involved in fatal motor vehicle accidents also increased.

The social well-being theme area consists of indicators used to understand the status of some of the most vulnerable members of the region’s population. The region’s individual, family and child poverty rates all increased during the time period studied. The child poverty rate increased faster for the region than for either North Carolina or South Carolina. The percentage of substantiated reports of child abuse varied across counties. The teenage birth rate declined in the region from 2000 to 2003, but increased in the North Carolina counties from 2003 to 2005 (figures for South Carolina from 2003 to 2005 were unavailable). Another challenge for the region identified in the report is providing care for the significant percentage of people 65 or older who need assistance with daily activities.

The measures of the region’s major modes of transportation show mixed results. The percentage of workers commuting 25 minutes or more has increased sharply since 1990, but decreased slightly from 2000 to 2005. Congestion has worsened, with the average annual delay per peak traveler nearly doubled from 1995 to 2005. Despite the increased congestion, the percentage of workers commuting alone remained steady from 2000 to 2005. With regard to airline travel, the number of enplanements and deplanements at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport has risen substantially since 2000.

The data contained in the Charlotte Regional Indicators Report offer great insight into the region’s successes and challenges. Its findings are neither uniformly good nor all bad. Rather, the Report paints a complex portrait of the region, highlighting both exciting opportunities and troubling trends and providing plenty of information for further discussion and action.