Population
Matthews
29,959
Lakeland
14,068
Median Income
Matthews
$105,579
Lakeland
$113,843
Home Value
Matthews
$406,800
Lakeland
$373,800
Rent
Matthews
$1,670
Lakeland
$1,611
Crime Rate
Matthews
1.85
Lakeland
N/A
Cost of Living
Matthews
154.0
Lakeland
163.5
Avg Temp
Matthews
N/A
Lakeland
N/A
Unemployment
Matthews
2.2%
Lakeland
2.7%
How Similar Are Matthews & Lakeland?
Lakeland is Matthews's #6 most similar city
5 of 8 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Matthews
29,959
Lakeland
14,068
Matthews (29,959) is about 2.1x larger than Lakeland (14,068).
Political Leaning
Matthews
32.7%
Lakeland
36.4%
Both cities lean Democratic, but Lakeland has a stronger Democratic lean (10% difference).
Unemployment
Matthews
2.2%
Lakeland
2.7%
Lakeland has a 19% higher unemployment than Matthews.
Median Income
Matthews
$105,579
Lakeland
$113,843
Both cities have similar median income — just a 7% difference.
Home Values
Matthews
$406,800
Lakeland
$373,800
Both cities have similar home values — just a 8% difference.
Education
Matthews
38.5%
Lakeland
36.0%
Both cities have similar education — just a 7% difference.
Demographics
Matthews
70.9%
Lakeland
78.0%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 9% difference.
Cost of Living
Matthews
154.0
Lakeland
163.5
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 6% difference.
5 out of 8 key metrics match within 10%. Matthews and Lakeland share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Matthews
0
Lakeland
Matthews leads in 4 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Matthews leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDLakeland has a fair market rent (1br) of $1,154 vs $1,538 in Matthews (33% lower). Lakeland has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,274 vs $1,686 in Matthews (32% lower). Matthews scores 123.2 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 174.0 in Lakeland.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Lakeland leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSLakeland has a vacancy rate of 0.5% compared to 5.7% in Matthews. Lakeland has a single-family homes of 88.1% compared to 66.0% in Matthews. Matthews has a median property tax of $2,853 vs $3,634 in Lakeland (21% lower).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Lakeland leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSMatthews: 15,805 vs Lakeland: 6,943 for labor force. Lakeland has a poverty rate of 2.4% compared to 4.0% in Matthews. Matthews has a unemployment rate of 2.2% compared to 2.7% in Lakeland.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety
Source: FBI UCRViolent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Matthews leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauMatthews has a high school diploma or higher of 50.4% compared to 45.8% in Lakeland. Matthews has a bachelor's degree or higher of 38.5% compared to 36.0% in Lakeland.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSMatthews has a population of 29,959, about 2.1x the size of Lakeland (14,068).
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Matthews
Lakeland
Healthcare — Matthews leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareMatthews: 3.3 vs Lakeland: 2.0 for avg cms rating (out of 5). Matthews: 5 vs Lakeland: 4 for with emergency services.
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Matthews leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSMatthews has a work from home of 15.6% compared to 13.1% in Lakeland. Lakeland has a drive alone of 80.3% compared to 71.5% in Matthews.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
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.