Population

Matthews

29,959

Towson

57,683

Median Income

Matthews

$105,579

Towson

$100,481

Home Value

Matthews

$406,800

Towson

$445,100

Rent

Matthews

$1,670

Towson

$1,784

Crime Rate

Matthews

1.85

Towson

N/A

Cost of Living

Matthews

154.0

Towson

159.2

Avg Temp

Matthews

N/A

Towson

N/A

Unemployment

Matthews

2.2%

Towson

4.7%

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How Similar Are Matthews & Towson?

Towson is Matthews's #10 most similar city

5/8

5 of 8 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Matthews

29,959

vs

Towson

57,683

Different · 48% difference

Towson has a 48% larger population than Matthews.

Political Leaning

Matthews

32.7%

vs

Towson

36.5%

Different · 10% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Democratic, but Towson has a stronger Democratic lean (10% difference).

Unemployment

💼

Matthews

2.2%

vs

Towson

4.7%

Different · 54% difference

Towson's unemployment is significantly higher than Matthews's — 54% difference.

Median Income

Matthews

$105,579

vs

Towson

$100,481

Match · 5% difference
💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 5% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Matthews

$406,800

vs

Towson

$445,100

Match · 9% difference

Both cities have similar home values — just a 9% difference.

Education

Matthews

38.5%

vs

Towson

41.6%

Match · 7% difference
🎓

Both cities have similar education — just a 7% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Matthews

70.9%

vs

Towson

69.4%

Match · 2% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 2% difference.

Cost of Living

Matthews

154.0

vs

Towson

159.2

Match · 3% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 3% difference.

5 out of 8 key metrics match within 10%. Matthews and Towson share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Matthews

vsof 8

0

Towson

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 210.6 in Towson. Matthews has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,686 vs $1,857 in Towson (9% lower). Towson scores 116.6 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 123.2 in Matthews.

Overall Cost Index

Matthews154.0
Towson159.2

Housing Index

Matthews187.5
Towson210.6

Food Index

Matthews130.7
Towson126.8

Transportation Index

Matthews123.2
Towson116.6

Healthcare Index

Matthews124.6
Towson121.4

Utilities Index

Matthews135.9
Towson138.2

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Matthews$67,738
Towson$70,053

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Matthews$160,108
Towson$165,581

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Matthews$1,538
Towson$1,511

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Matthews$1,686
Towson$1,857

Housing Market — Matthews leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Matthews has a median property tax of $2,853 vs $4,642 in Towson (39% lower). Matthews has a vacancy rate of 5.7% compared to 7.5% in Towson. Matthews has a single-family homes of 66.0% compared to 55.7% in Towson.

Median Home Value

Matthews$406,800
Towson$445,100

Median Rent

Matthews$1,670
Towson$1,784

Median Property Tax

Matthews$2,853
Towson$4,642

Owner-Occupied

Matthews65.5%
Towson56.0%

Vacancy Rate

Matthews5.7%
Towson7.5%

Single-Family Homes

Matthews66.0%
Towson55.7%

Jobs & Economy — Matthews leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Matthews has a poverty rate of 4.0% compared to 12.8% in Towson. Matthews has a unemployment rate of 2.2% compared to 4.7% in Towson. Towson: 30,763 vs Matthews: 15,805 for labor force.

Median Household Income

Matthews$105,579
Towson$100,481

Per Capita Income

Matthews$49,894
Towson$60,536

Poverty Rate

Matthews4.0%
Towson12.8%

Unemployment Rate

Matthews2.2%
Towson4.7%

Labor Force

Matthews15,805
Towson30,763

Mean Commute

Matthews22 min
Towson20 min

Work from Home

Matthews15.6%
Towson20.8%

Private Sector

Matthews95.3%
Towson76.8%

Government Sector

Matthews45.9%
Towson36.4%

Crime & Safety

Source: FBI UCR

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Matthews1.85
TowsonN/A

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Matthews26.54
TowsonN/A

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Matthews0.00
TowsonN/A

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Matthews0.64
TowsonN/A

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Matthews1.02
TowsonN/A

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Matthews3.50
TowsonN/A

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Matthews21.20
TowsonN/A

Violent Crime Clearance

Matthews46.6%
TowsonN/A

Property Crime Clearance

Matthews18.5%
TowsonN/A

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

MatthewsN/A
TowsonN/A

Avg Annual High

MatthewsN/A
TowsonN/A

Avg Annual Low

MatthewsN/A
TowsonN/A

Sunny Days per Year

MatthewsN/A
TowsonN/A

Annual Rainfall

MatthewsN/A
TowsonN/A

Annual Snowfall

MatthewsN/A
TowsonN/A

Avg Humidity

MatthewsN/A
TowsonN/A

Schools & Education

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Towson has a bachelor's degree or higher of 41.6% compared to 38.5% in Matthews. Matthews has a high school diploma or higher of 50.4% compared to 47.6% in Towson.

Public Schools

Matthews0
Towson0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

MatthewsN/A
TowsonN/A

Colleges & Universities

Matthews0
Towson0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Matthews38.5%
Towson41.6%

High School Diploma or Higher

Matthews50.4%
Towson47.6%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Towson has a population of 57,683, about 1.9x the size of Matthews (29,959). Towson skews younger with a median age of 33.2 vs 39.3.

Population

Matthews29,959
Towson57,683

Median Age

Matthews39
Towson33

Avg Household Size

Matthews2.6
Towson2.3

Married Population

Matthews49.6%
Towson35.4%

Foreign Born

Matthews13.9%
Towson10.9%

White

Matthews70.9%
Towson69.4%

Black

Matthews13.5%
Towson15.9%

Hispanic

Matthews6.2%
Towson5.8%

Asian

Matthews6.1%
Towson6.1%

Matthews

Towson

Healthcare

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Matthews: 5 vs Towson: 3 for with emergency services. Towson: 4.0 vs Matthews: 3.3 for avg cms rating (out of 5).

Nearby Hospitals

Matthews5
Towson5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Matthews3.3
Towson4.0

With Emergency Services

Matthews5
Towson3

Transportation & Commute — Towson leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Towson has a bicycle of 0.1% compared to 0.0% in Matthews. Towson has a public transit of 2.0% compared to 0.5% in Matthews. Towson has a work from home of 20.8% compared to 15.6% in Matthews.

Mean Commute Time

Matthews22 min
Towson20 min

Drive Alone

Matthews71.5%
Towson64.9%

Public Transit

Matthews0.5%
Towson2.0%

Bicycle

Matthews0.0%
Towson0.1%

Work from Home

Matthews15.6%
Towson20.8%

Airports

Matthews0
Towson0

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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