Population

Matthews

29,959

Chapel Hill

59,889

Median Income

Matthews

$105,579

Chapel Hill

$85,825

Home Value

Matthews

$406,800

Chapel Hill

$576,500

Rent

Matthews

$1,670

Chapel Hill

$1,483

Crime Rate

Matthews

1.85

Chapel Hill

1.72

Cost of Living

Matthews

154.0

Chapel Hill

160.6

Avg Temp

Matthews

N/A

Chapel Hill

N/A

Unemployment

Matthews

2.2%

Chapel Hill

4.6%

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How Similar Are Matthews & Chapel Hill?

Chapel Hill is Matthews's #12 most similar city

5/10

5 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Matthews

29,959

vs

Chapel Hill

59,889

Different · 50% difference

Chapel Hill has a 50% larger population than Matthews.

Violent Crime

Matthews

1.85

vs

Chapel Hill

1.72

Match · 7% difference
🚨

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

Property Crime

🔒

Matthews

26.54

vs

Chapel Hill

25.15

Match · 5% difference

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

Political Leaning

Matthews

32.7%

vs

Chapel Hill

23.8%

Different · 27% difference
🗳️

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

Unemployment

💼

Matthews

2.2%

vs

Chapel Hill

4.6%

Different · 53% difference

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

Median Income

Matthews

$105,579

vs

Chapel Hill

$85,825

Different · 19% difference
💰

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

Home Values

🏠

Matthews

$406,800

vs

Chapel Hill

$576,500

Different · 29% difference

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

Education

Matthews

38.5%

vs

Chapel Hill

40.1%

Match · 4% difference
🎓

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

Demographics

🌍

Matthews

70.9%

vs

Chapel Hill

66.7%

Match · 6% difference

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

Cost of Living

Matthews

154.0

vs

Chapel Hill

160.6

Match · 4% difference
💵

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

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

At a Glance

0

Matthews

vsof 8

0

Chapel Hill

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

Matthews154.0
Chapel Hill160.6

Housing Index

Matthews187.5
Chapel Hill226.2

Food Index

Matthews130.7
Chapel Hill115.6

Transportation Index

Matthews123.2
Chapel Hill131.2

Healthcare Index

Matthews124.6
Chapel Hill112.5

Utilities Index

Matthews135.9
Chapel Hill134.6

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Matthews$67,738
Chapel Hill$70,661

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Matthews$160,108
Chapel Hill$167,017

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Matthews$1,538
Chapel Hill$1,507

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Matthews$1,686
Chapel Hill$1,711

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 (59% lower). Matthews has a vacancy rate of 5.7% compared to 10.7% in Chapel Hill. Matthews has a owner-occupied of 65.5% compared to 48.7% in Chapel Hill.

Median Home Value

Matthews$406,800
Chapel Hill$576,500

Median Rent

Matthews$1,670
Chapel Hill$1,483

Median Property Tax

Matthews$2,853
Chapel Hill$7,034

Owner-Occupied

Matthews65.5%
Chapel Hill48.7%

Vacancy Rate

Matthews5.7%
Chapel Hill10.7%

Single-Family Homes

Matthews66.0%
Chapel Hill53.8%

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

Matthews$105,579
Chapel Hill$85,825

Per Capita Income

Matthews$49,894
Chapel Hill$50,216

Poverty Rate

Matthews4.0%
Chapel Hill19.6%

Unemployment Rate

Matthews2.2%
Chapel Hill4.6%

Labor Force

Matthews15,805
Chapel Hill30,024

Mean Commute

Matthews22 min
Chapel HillN/A

Work from Home

Matthews15.6%
Chapel Hill27.1%

Private Sector

Matthews95.3%
Chapel Hill78.8%

Government Sector

Matthews45.9%
Chapel Hill35.4%

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 murder rate (per 1k) of 0.00 compared to 0.02 in Chapel Hill. Matthews has a violent crime clearance of 46.6% compared to 24.5% in Chapel Hill.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Matthews1.85
Chapel Hill1.72

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Matthews26.54
Chapel Hill25.15

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Matthews0.00
Chapel Hill0.02

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Matthews0.64
Chapel Hill0.45

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Matthews1.02
Chapel Hill1.13

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Matthews3.50
Chapel Hill3.40

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Matthews21.20
Chapel Hill19.89

Violent Crime Clearance

Matthews46.6%
Chapel Hill24.5%

Property Crime Clearance

Matthews18.5%
Chapel Hill7.2%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

MatthewsN/A
Chapel HillN/A

Avg Annual High

MatthewsN/A
Chapel HillN/A

Avg Annual Low

MatthewsN/A
Chapel HillN/A

Sunny Days per Year

MatthewsN/A
Chapel HillN/A

Annual Rainfall

MatthewsN/A
Chapel HillN/A

Annual Snowfall

MatthewsN/A
Chapel HillN/A

Avg Humidity

MatthewsN/A
Chapel HillN/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

Matthews0
Chapel Hill0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

MatthewsN/A
Chapel HillN/A

Colleges & Universities

Matthews0
Chapel Hill0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Matthews38.5%
Chapel Hill40.1%

High School Diploma or Higher

Matthews50.4%
Chapel Hill44.1%

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

Matthews29,959
Chapel Hill59,889

Median Age

Matthews39
Chapel Hill26

Avg Household Size

Matthews2.6
Chapel Hill2.4

Married Population

Matthews49.6%
Chapel Hill31.3%

Foreign Born

Matthews13.9%
Chapel Hill14.9%

White

Matthews70.9%
Chapel Hill66.7%

Black

Matthews13.5%
Chapel Hill10.9%

Hispanic

Matthews6.2%
Chapel Hill7.4%

Asian

Matthews6.1%
Chapel Hill13.2%

Matthews

Chapel Hill

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

Matthews5
Chapel Hill5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Matthews3.3
Chapel Hill4.5

With Emergency Services

Matthews5
Chapel Hill4

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. Matthews has a drive alone of 71.5% compared to 48.1% in Chapel Hill.

Mean Commute Time

Matthews22 min
Chapel HillN/A

Drive Alone

Matthews71.5%
Chapel Hill48.1%

Public Transit

Matthews0.5%
Chapel Hill6.6%

Bicycle

Matthews0.0%
Chapel Hill2.6%

Work from Home

Matthews15.6%
Chapel Hill27.1%

Airports

Matthews0
Chapel Hill0

Cities Similar to Matthews, NC

Compare Matthews 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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