Union County residents report the highest well-being of any county in the 14-county Charlotte region, according to a new survey from the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute.
The institute surveyed about 4,000 people and released the results Wednesday, Oct. 7, through a new online tool called the Carolinas Regional Explorer. The survey measured housing costs, health, income and other quality-of-life factors. Regionwide, residents rated their life satisfaction at 7.4 out of 10. Gaston County scored lowest.
Charlotte Urban Institute Executive Director Lori Thomas said the region outperforms the national average but cautioned against reading only the top-line number.
"Percentages are people, and we need to pay attention to all of those people," Thomas said at the Oct. 7 release.
Housing affordability ranked as the most pressing concern. Renters were more pessimistic about their well-being than homeowners, as first reported by WFAE. Charlotte Urban Institute researcher Eric Moore called the influx of renters into the region "a bit alarming." Adults aged 25 to 54 were more pessimistic than both the youngest group, ages 18 to 24, and residents over 65.
Union County's ranking covers Waxhaw, Weddington, Marvin, Wesley Chapel and the rest of the county. The survey does not break results down by town.
