Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey
Community Highlights For Charlotte Region, NC

[Community Highlights] [Survey Highlights (PDF 202K)] [Press Release]

Sponsor:
Foundation For The Carolinas

Media Contact:
Sara Collins, Associate Vice President - Communications & Donor Services
1043 E. Morehead St., Ste. 100, Charlotte, NC 28204
704/376-9541
Email address: slcollin@fftc.org
Web address: www.fftc.org

Sample size:
1500

Survey Area:
Charlotte Region (14 counties in North Carolina & South Carolina)
North Carolina Counties: Anson, Cabarrus, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly, Union
South Carolina Counties: Chester, Lancaster, York

Is your survey area urban, suburban, rural?:
All of the above (primarily urban/suburban)

Population:
1.93 million
U.S. Bureau of the Census, N.C./S.C. data sources

Ethnicity:
White 76.7 percent
Black 20.1 percent
Asian 1.4 percent
Hispanic 1.6 percent
Other .2 percent
U.S. Bureau of the Census (1999 Estimates)

Age:
18-34 24.6 percent
35-49 18.2 percent
50-64 20.0 percent
65+ 11.4 percent
U.S. Bureau of the Census (1999 Estimates)

Additional Information:
Regional Median Household Income
1990 $27,805
1993 $31,095
1995 $34,321

Average Sale Price of Housing
1990 $103,582
1997 $141,011

Regional Employment
1990 871,910
1998 971,640

Why did you choose the particular survey area?:
For various studies, public policy forums, etc., we use the Charlotte Metro Region, which is self-defined, but is almost universally agreed upon as the 14 counties surveyed.

Survey results:

  • The Charlotte region is low on social and racial trust.
  • We are high on faith-based and charity, as well as group involvement.
  • Our results are similar to other communities in the South, as well as to the other two areas of North Carolina included in the survey.

What are you going to do about it?

  • We plan to brief community leaders at events to be held on February 28.
  • We plan media briefings both before and after the national release of the survey results.
  • We are already scheduled to take part in a community lecture series focusing on community trends, and will discuss the survey results.
  • We'll use the survey findings to continue to support Foundation initiatives that are already in place and working on these issues, including the Community Building Initiative, Voices and Choices and The Impact Fund.