Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety62#5,870/15,637
Economy86#2,167/15,631
Housing90#1,472/14,977
Health65#5,432/15,609
Healthcare69#4,819/15,650
Environment19#12,458/15,453
Education50#7,881/15,649
Infrastructure62#5,988/15,650
Community51#7,651/15,651
Leisure & amenities63#5,778/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Mount Pleasant, North Carolina ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Cabarrus County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Job growth · high3.2%
94/100North Carolina 0.8%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataCabarrus County value
Rent as share of income · low23.1%
90/100North Carolina 29.5%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Rent-burdened households · low31.0%
87/100North Carolina 48.9%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.350
86/100North Carolina 0.477United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Violent crime rate · low111 /100k
83/100North Carolina 330 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationCabarrus County value
Voter turnout · high74.1%
82/100North Carolina 72.9%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionCabarrus County value

Weaknesses

Public libraries · low0.2 /10k
7/100North Carolina 0.4 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesCabarrus County value
Drought exposure · high82%
11/100North Carolina 79%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAACabarrus County value
Preventable hospital stays · high3,516 /100k
19/100North Carolina 2,742 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCabarrus County value
Depression · high27.3%
21/100North Carolina 24.8%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Access to exercise opportunities · low61.9%
22/100North Carolina 78.0%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCabarrus County value
Students per teacher · high16.5×
26/100North Carolina 16.0×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsCabarrus County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
1,757 (2015-2019) → 2,230 (2020-2024)
+27%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
23.3% (2015-2019) → 31.0% (2020-2024)
+7.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$69,519 (2015-2019) → $90,795 (2020-2024)
+31%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
8.4% (2015-2019) → 3.7% (2020-2024)
−4.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
18.6% (2015-2019) → 23.1% (2020-2024)
+4.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.8× (2015-2019) → 3.4× (2020-2024)
+21%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Mount Pleasant, North Carolina improved on 2 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Uninsured−4.7 points8.4% → 3.7%
Household income+31%$69,519 → $90,795

Declined1

Rent / income+4.5 points18.6% → 23.1%

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Mount Pleasant, North Carolina between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	29.7 min2015-2019	25.9 min2020-2024	−3.8 min	Within the margin of error	84%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.2%2015-2019	25.1%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Within the margin of error	59%
Broadband subscriptions	87.7%2015-2019	85.0%2020-2024	−2.6 points	Within the margin of error	4%
Effective property tax rate	0.90%2015-2019	0.77%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	41%
High school diploma or higher	90.0%2015-2019	90.4%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	38%
Home price to income ratio	2.8×2015-2019	3.4×2020-2024	+0.6×	Within the margin of error	42%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3902015-2019	0.3502020-2024	−0.040	Within the margin of error	80%
Median household income	$69,5192015-2019	$90,7952020-2024	+31%	Improved	57%
Poverty rate	6.5%2015-2019	6.6%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	18.6%2015-2019	23.1%2020-2024	+4.5 points	Declined	25%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.4%2015-2019	3.7%2020-2024	−4.7 points	Improved	85%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Mount Pleasant, North Carolina five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Mount Pleasant, North Carolina in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Mount Pleasant, North Carolina itself moved −3.6 points in standing on average over the same 9 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

2,230 residents (±486)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 50–59 men (−7.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

2,230 residents (±486)

Mount Pleasant, North Carolina
North Carolina share

White86%1,915
Black7.4%†164
Hispanic or Latino5.3%†118
Asian0.2%†4
American Indian and Alaska Native0.5%†12
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races0.8%†17

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−8.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

1,488 residents (±317)

Mount Pleasant, North Carolina
North Carolina share

No high school diploma9.6%†143
High school or GED30%†440
Some college15%†229
Associate degree20%†303
Bachelor's degree20%†295
Graduate degree5.2%†78

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Some college (−10.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

775 households (±151)

Mount Pleasant, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $25k9.7%†75
$25k–50k18%†139
$50k–75k13%†98
$75k–100k18%†138
$100k–150k26%†201
$150k–200k11%†89
$200k or more4.5%†35

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $50k–75k (−9.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

775 households (±151)

Mount Pleasant, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Own74%577
Rent26%†198

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

187 households (±82)

Mount Pleasant, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $7503.7%†7
$750–1,00027%†51
$1,000–1,50034%†

Home values

577 homes (±130)

Mount Pleasant, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $150k21%†122
$150k–250k21%†123
$250k–400k26%†151

Age of homes

875 homes (±159)

Mount Pleasant, North Carolina
North Carolina share

2010 or later8.2%†72
2000–200920%†175
1980–199919%†166

Size of homes

875 homes (±159)

Mount Pleasant, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Studio1.1%†10
1 bedroom3.1%†27
2 bedrooms17%†148

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

1,043 workers (±238)

Mount Pleasant, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Drive alone77%807
Carpool2.7%†28
Public transit0.0%0
Walk2.7%†28
Bike0.0%0
Work from home17%†178
Other0.2%†2

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+11.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

865 workers (±203)

Mount Pleasant, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under 15 min22%†186
15–29 min33%†287
30–44 min30%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Cabarrus County, the county holding most of Mount Pleasant's residents.

Cabarrus County has 5,279 employer establishments, 219 for every 10,000 residents (0.88× the US rate of 248; 0.92× North Carolina's), with 77,218 paid employees at an average annual pay of $48,112. The Census Bureau also counts 22,242 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 5,279; 22,242 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 219; US 248 · North Carolina 237
Paid employees: 77,218
Average annual pay: $48,112; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Cabarrus County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	493	20.5	1.32×More than typical	4,756	$66,524	1,585
Restaurants and other eating places	429	17.8	0.97×About typical	9,757	$20,856	101
Ambulatory health care services	346	14.4	0.69×Fewer than typical	4,137	$75,665	952
Lessors of real estate	294	12.2	0.99×About typical	589	$50,010	1,944
Building equipment contractors	194	8.1	1.34×More than typical	2,088	$63,273	268
Limited-service restaurants	184	7.6	0.95×About typical	4,289	$19,605	38
Full-service restaurants	181	7.5	0.98×About typical	4,473	$22,813	32
Religious organizations	175	7.3	1.31×More than typical	1,453	$26,851	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	171	7.1	1.05×About typical	1,155	$38,115	1,380
Construction of buildings	169	7	0.93×About typical	700	$64,111	736
Real estate agents and brokers	150	6.2	1.28×More than typical	199	$48,317	653
Automotive repair and maintenance	147	6.1	1.21×About typical	895	$43,742	372

Rank places for an industry Open Cabarrus County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 240,679 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $4,787 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Mount Pleasant, North Carolina: $2.15 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $4,787; −85% vs FY2025
Per resident: $2.15; US $1,995
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 38%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

National Aeronautics and Space Administration$1,56733%
Department of the Navy$1,46131%
Department of the Air Force$1,14724%
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Acquisition and Property Management Division$4148.6%
Department of Veterans Affairs$2415.0%
Defense Logistics Agency$1.200.0%

Top recipients

VULCAN VENTURA LLC$3,02763%
VULKAN CONSULTANTS INC$1,14724%
SECRET SQUIRREL CONCEALMENT LLC$4148.6%
HANGER PROSTHETICS & ORTHOTICS EAST, INC.$2415.0%
PATRIOT STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT LLC$1.200.0%

Spending by fiscal year

2.5KFY2017
10.3KFY2018
136.3FY2019
57.1KFY2020
22.5KFY2021
45.1KFY2022
23.8KFY2023
16.9KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Scientific research and development services · 5417$4,17487%
Other schools and instruction · 6116$4148.6%
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing · 3391$2415.0%
Machine shops and screw, nut, and bolt manufacturing · 3327$1.050.0%
Plastics product manufacturing · 3261$0.160.0%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 7, 2026, loaded Oct 7, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Mount Pleasant, North Carolina, so they do not add up across cities.

Mount Pleasant, North Carolina's figures are part of those of Cabarrus County, NC ($2.4M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.2% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Mount Pleasant is mostly in Cabarrus County.

See federal money in Cabarrus County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Mount Pleasant, North Carolina is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Cabarrus County73100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC75

Other cities and towns in Cabarrus County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/3745140

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends