Mecklenburg County, North Carolina is both the most populated and densely-populated county in North Carolina. Its county seat and largest city is Charlotte.
The city was named Charlotte in 1762 in honor of the British Queen “Charlotte Sophia” while the county was named Mecklenburg to denote the region in Germany where she was born.
The county has a total area of 546 square miles and contains seven municipalities including the city of Charlotte and the towns of Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill, and Pineville.
There’s a surprising amount of industry here in Mecklenburg County. Major industries include banking, manufacturing and professional services. The county hosts the headquarters of seven Fortune 500 companies, including 9th-ranked Bank of America, Nucor Metals, Duke Energy Utilities, Sonic Automotive, Family Dollar, Goodrich Aerospace and SPX Electronics. Mecklenburg County’s largest employer is Carolinas Healthcare System, with 26,283 employees.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district serves the entire county. Colleges and universities include the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, King’s College and Johnson & Wales University.
Johnson & Wales University is well known for its Culinary Arts program, and is the largest food-service educator in the world. According to 2010 rankings by the American Universities Admissions Program, which ranks of American universities according to their international reputation, Johnson & Wales is one of the country’s top three hospitality colleges.
Notable alumni include Amy Sacco, New York City nightclub owner and restaurateur; Tyler Florence, celebrity chef and television personality; Sam Talbot, Top Chef contestant and chef in New York City and Rahman “Rock” Harper, Hell’s Kitchen Season Three winner.
Notable residents include the Reverend Billy Graham, world-famous evangelist who has led religious revivals in many nations around the world and served as a spiritual advisor to a number of US presidents.
Data provided by GreatSchools.org 2025 © 2025. All rights reserved.
Submitting Request
Apartment Finder utilizes the industry's largest and most complete database of real-time rents and availabilities to help you find an amazing deal on your next rental.
Apartment communities change their rental rates often - sometimes multiple times a day. We track the changes and keep you up to date when a rental rate decreases.
"Best value" units are located in buildings rated three stars or higher. We label apartment rentals that are priced significantly less than similar high-quality units nearby.
Apartment communities regularly advertise deals for new residents. Whether it's a move-in special or a free tv, we locate the rentals that offer a little something extra when you sign your lease.
Note: Based on community-supplied data and independent market research. Subject to change without notice.