Population

Chapel Hill

59,889

Matthews

29,959

Median Income

Chapel Hill

$85,825

Matthews

$105,579

Home Value

Chapel Hill

$576,500

Matthews

$406,800

Rent

Chapel Hill

$1,483

Matthews

$1,670

Crime Rate

Chapel Hill

1.72

Matthews

1.85

Cost of Living

Chapel Hill

160.6

Matthews

154.0

Avg Temp

Chapel Hill

N/A

Matthews

N/A

Unemployment

Chapel Hill

4.6%

Matthews

2.2%

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How Similar Are Chapel Hill & Matthews?

Matthews is Chapel Hill's #8 most similar city

5/10

5 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Chapel Hill

59,889

vs

Matthews

29,959

Different · 50% difference

Chapel Hill has a 50% larger population than Matthews.

Violent Crime

Chapel Hill

1.72

vs

Matthews

1.85

Match · 7% difference
🚨

Both cities have similar violent crime — just a 7% difference.

Property Crime

🔒

Chapel Hill

25.15

vs

Matthews

26.54

Match · 5% difference

Both cities have similar property crime — just a 5% difference.

Political Leaning

Chapel Hill

23.8%

vs

Matthews

32.7%

Different · 27% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Democratic, but Matthews has a stronger Democratic lean (27% difference).

Unemployment

💼

Chapel Hill

4.6%

vs

Matthews

2.2%

Different · 53% difference

Chapel Hill's unemployment is significantly higher than Matthews's — 53% difference.

Median Income

Chapel Hill

$85,825

vs

Matthews

$105,579

Different · 19% difference
💰

Matthews has a 19% higher median income than Chapel Hill.

Home Values

🏠

Chapel Hill

$576,500

vs

Matthews

$406,800

Different · 29% difference

Chapel Hill has a 29% higher home values than Matthews.

Education

Chapel Hill

40.1%

vs

Matthews

38.5%

Match · 4% difference
🎓

Both cities have similar education — just a 4% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Chapel Hill

66.7%

vs

Matthews

70.9%

Match · 6% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 6% difference.

Cost of Living

Chapel Hill

160.6

vs

Matthews

154.0

Match · 4% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 4% difference.

5 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Chapel Hill and Matthews share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Chapel Hill

vsof 8

0

Matthews

Matthews leads in 3 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Matthews leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Matthews scores 187.5 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 226.2 in Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill scores 115.6 on the food index (100 = national avg) vs 130.7 in Matthews. Chapel Hill scores 112.5 on the healthcare index (100 = national avg) vs 124.6 in Matthews.

Overall Cost Index

Chapel Hill160.6
Matthews154.0

Housing Index

Chapel Hill226.2
Matthews187.5

Food Index

Chapel Hill115.6
Matthews130.7

Transportation Index

Chapel Hill131.2
Matthews123.2

Healthcare Index

Chapel Hill112.5
Matthews124.6

Utilities Index

Chapel Hill134.6
Matthews135.9

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Chapel Hill$70,661
Matthews$67,738

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Chapel Hill$167,017
Matthews$160,108

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Chapel Hill$1,507
Matthews$1,538

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Chapel Hill$1,711
Matthews$1,686

Housing Market — Matthews leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Matthews has a median property tax of $2,853 vs $7,034 in Chapel Hill (147% lower). Matthews has a vacancy rate of 5.7% compared to 10.7% in Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill has a median home value of $576,500 vs $406,800 in Matthews (42% higher).

Median Home Value

Chapel Hill$576,500
Matthews$406,800

Median Rent

Chapel Hill$1,483
Matthews$1,670

Median Property Tax

Chapel Hill$7,034
Matthews$2,853

Owner-Occupied

Chapel Hill48.7%
Matthews65.5%

Vacancy Rate

Chapel Hill10.7%
Matthews5.7%

Single-Family Homes

Chapel Hill53.8%
Matthews66.0%

Jobs & Economy — Matthews leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Matthews has a poverty rate of 4.0% compared to 19.6% in Chapel Hill. Matthews has a unemployment rate of 2.2% compared to 4.6% in Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill: 30,024 vs Matthews: 15,805 for labor force.

Median Household Income

Chapel Hill$85,825
Matthews$105,579

Per Capita Income

Chapel Hill$50,216
Matthews$49,894

Poverty Rate

Chapel Hill19.6%
Matthews4.0%

Unemployment Rate

Chapel Hill4.6%
Matthews2.2%

Labor Force

Chapel Hill30,024
Matthews15,805

Mean Commute

Chapel HillN/A
Matthews22 min

Work from Home

Chapel Hill27.1%
Matthews15.6%

Private Sector

Chapel Hill78.8%
Matthews95.3%

Government Sector

Chapel Hill35.4%
Matthews45.9%

Crime & Safety — Chapel Hill leads

Source: FBI UCR

Matthews has a property crime clearance of 18.5% compared to 7.2% in Chapel Hill. Matthews has a violent crime clearance of 46.6% compared to 24.5% in Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.45 compared to 0.64 in Matthews.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Chapel Hill1.72
Matthews1.85

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Chapel Hill25.15
Matthews26.54

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Chapel Hill0.02
Matthews0.00

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Chapel Hill0.45
Matthews0.64

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Chapel Hill1.13
Matthews1.02

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Chapel Hill3.40
Matthews3.50

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Chapel Hill19.89
Matthews21.20

Violent Crime Clearance

Chapel Hill24.5%
Matthews46.6%

Property Crime Clearance

Chapel Hill7.2%
Matthews18.5%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

Chapel HillN/A
MatthewsN/A

Avg Annual High

Chapel HillN/A
MatthewsN/A

Avg Annual Low

Chapel HillN/A
MatthewsN/A

Sunny Days per Year

Chapel HillN/A
MatthewsN/A

Annual Rainfall

Chapel HillN/A
MatthewsN/A

Annual Snowfall

Chapel HillN/A
MatthewsN/A

Avg Humidity

Chapel HillN/A
MatthewsN/A

Schools & Education

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Matthews has a high school diploma or higher of 50.4% compared to 44.1% in Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill has a bachelor's degree or higher of 40.1% compared to 38.5% in Matthews.

Public Schools

Chapel Hill0
Matthews0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

Chapel HillN/A
MatthewsN/A

Colleges & Universities

Chapel Hill0
Matthews0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Chapel Hill40.1%
Matthews38.5%

High School Diploma or Higher

Chapel Hill44.1%
Matthews50.4%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Chapel Hill has a population of 59,889, about 2x the size of Matthews (29,959). Chapel Hill skews younger with a median age of 25.8 vs 39.3.

Population

Chapel Hill59,889
Matthews29,959

Median Age

Chapel Hill26
Matthews39

Avg Household Size

Chapel Hill2.4
Matthews2.6

Married Population

Chapel Hill31.3%
Matthews49.6%

Foreign Born

Chapel Hill14.9%
Matthews13.9%

White

Chapel Hill66.7%
Matthews70.9%

Black

Chapel Hill10.9%
Matthews13.5%

Hispanic

Chapel Hill7.4%
Matthews6.2%

Asian

Chapel Hill13.2%
Matthews6.1%

Chapel Hill

Matthews

Healthcare

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Chapel Hill: 4.5 vs Matthews: 3.3 for avg cms rating (out of 5). Matthews: 5 vs Chapel Hill: 4 for with emergency services.

Nearby Hospitals

Chapel Hill5
Matthews5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Chapel Hill4.5
Matthews3.3

With Emergency Services

Chapel Hill4
Matthews5

Transportation & Commute — Chapel Hill leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Chapel Hill has a bicycle of 2.6% compared to 0.0% in Matthews. Chapel Hill has a public transit of 6.6% compared to 0.5% in Matthews. Chapel Hill has a work from home of 27.1% compared to 15.6% in Matthews.

Mean Commute Time

Chapel HillN/A
Matthews22 min

Drive Alone

Chapel Hill48.1%
Matthews71.5%

Public Transit

Chapel Hill6.6%
Matthews0.5%

Bicycle

Chapel Hill2.6%
Matthews0.0%

Work from Home

Chapel Hill27.1%
Matthews15.6%

Airports

Chapel Hill0
Matthews0

Cities Similar to Chapel Hill, NC

Compare Chapel Hill against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

🧬

City Comparison

8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

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