Living in Matthews, NC: The Small Town Charlotte Already Caught Up To

One of the things that surprises people about Matthews is just how close it really is to Charlotte. If you drive down Independence Boulevard from Charlotte into Matthews, you probably won't even realize you've crossed into Matthews until you see the sign.

There used to be a real gap between the two. Charlotte was Charlotte, Matthews was Matthews, and there was some actual space in between them. That's just not the case anymore. Charlotte grew out, Matthews grew, and eventually the two pretty much met.

Matthews still has its own downtown and its own identity, which is a big reason people want to live here. But if you're moving to Matthews because you're picturing some quiet suburb separated from Charlotte, that's where I think you might be surprised.

Especially when you see what homes here are selling for compared to Charlotte.

What Living in Matthews, NC Is Really Like

The downtown is probably one of my favorite parts of Matthews. It's not huge, but there is an actual downtown, and that's something a lot of suburbs around Charlotte don't really have.

You've got older buildings, local restaurants, coffee shops, Stumptown Park, the farmers market and different events throughout the year. You can park the car and walk around for a while instead of driving from one shopping center to another.

Santé is one of my favorite spots for dinner. Their escargot is some of the best I've had around Charlotte. Sounds fancy, I know, but trust me on this one.

For coffee, I like Brakeman's. Great coffee, good atmosphere, and it's usually pretty busy on a Saturday morning.

That's really the appeal of downtown Matthews. It's not trying to recreate an old downtown in the middle of a new development. It's been here.

You also have neighborhoods surrounding downtown where people have lived for 20 or 30 years. Mature trees, older homes and neighbors who may have known each other for years.

So Matthews definitely still has that community feel.

The part I think gets misunderstood is the suburban part.

Matthews Isn't As Far From Charlotte As You Might Think

If you're moving here because you want some real physical distance between you and Charlotte, Matthews probably isn't going to give you what you're looking for.

You're still very connected to the city.

Independence Boulevard runs straight between the two, I-485 is right there, and South Charlotte isn't far away either.

That can be a huge positive if you work in Charlotte or just don't want to spend your life in the car. But it also means you're dealing with some of the same growth and traffic problems Charlotte deals with.

John Street is a great example.

John Street runs straight through downtown Matthews and has been two lanes for decades. As the area has grown, traffic has become a much bigger issue.

NCDOT had plans to widen part of East John Street to four lanes, and Matthews pushed back. The town was concerned that widening the road that way could hurt the walkability and connection between downtown, Stumptown Park, the elementary school and the arts center.

Matthews has since received more than $17.4 million in federal funding for a different approach to the corridor. The John Street Safety and Mobility Enhancement Project is supposed to improve walking, biking, transit and driving while keeping the road at its current vehicle capacity.

I think that whole situation tells you a lot about Matthews.

The town knows growth is here. The roads need work. But if you just keep making every road wider to move more cars, at some point you start changing the thing people liked about Matthews in the first place.

And John Street isn't the only place dealing with it.

Independence Boulevard Is Going to Keep Changing

Independence Boulevard has major changes coming too.

NCDOT is planning additional general-purpose and express lanes between Charlotte and I-485 in Matthews, along with changes to intersections and access points along the corridor.

That's a massive project and it's going to affect how this entire side of the Charlotte metro moves around.

Then you've got new development happening near Idlewild Road and I-485.

Cadia Village Matthews is going up there with new homes, townhomes, apartments, retail, restaurants, a Publix and other commercial space.

So when someone tells me they're moving to Matthews because they want a quiet little suburb, I usually want to dig into what they mean by that.

If you mean you want a place with an actual downtown, older neighborhoods and more of a community feel, Matthews can absolutely give you that.

If you mean you want to get away from growth, traffic and development, I'd probably keep looking.

How Much Does It Cost to Live in Matthews?

Matthews isn't the cheap alternative to Charlotte.

As of August 2026, Redfin had the median Matthews sale price at about $495,000. Charlotte was around $430,000.

That's roughly a $65,000 difference.

Now obviously that doesn't mean every house in Matthews costs $65,000 more than every house in Charlotte. We're comparing citywide medians, and real estate doesn't work that neatly.

But it gives you a pretty good idea of what you're walking into.

You can find townhomes in Matthews below the overall median. A lot of the established single-family neighborhoods fall somewhere in the middle. Then you get into some of the more expensive neighborhoods toward the Providence Road side and prices can climb pretty quickly.

So if you're coming here thinking, "I'll move outside Charlotte and get twice the house for half the money," Matthews probably isn't where that's going to happen.

You're paying a premium to live here.

Whether it's worth paying comes down to why you wanted Matthews in the first place.

Matthews Schools Are Part of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Schools come up constantly when people are comparing Matthews with Charlotte, Fort Mill, Indian Land or Union County.

One thing that's important to understand is that Matthews doesn't have its own public school district.

Matthews is part of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, the same district that serves Charlotte.

That doesn't mean every school is the same. Your exact address determines your school assignments, and that can make a big difference.

But don't assume you're buying into some separate Matthews school district just because you crossed the town line.

If schools are important to your move, look at the specific house and its current assignments instead of shopping by town name alone.

A Few Matthews Neighborhoods Worth Understanding

The neighborhoods close to downtown Matthews are usually the ones that catch people's attention first.

I get it.

You've got those older brick ranches, mature trees and the ability to walk into downtown Matthews or over to Stumptown Park.

But you're paying for that location.

A lot of those houses are older and smaller, and depending on the property you could be dealing with older HVAC systems, plumbing, electrical, roofs or renovations from three owners ago that may or may not have been done the way you'd do them today.

You're also starting to see older homes replaced with much larger new homes in some of these areas.

That tells you something about the value of the land and location, but it also changes what these neighborhoods look like over time.

Sardis Forest

Sardis Forest is another area I think is worth looking at.

You've got established homes, mature trees and real yards. It's also close to the Arboretum and gives you pretty easy access to South Charlotte and Matthews.

One thing I want to clarify from my original video is the HOA situation.

I originally said Sardis Forest didn't have an HOA. That's too broad. Parts of Sardis Forest do have an HOA, including mandatory membership for certain homes, while other properties in the broader area can have different arrangements.

So if you're looking there specifically because you're trying to avoid an HOA, check the individual property.

Don't assume based on the neighborhood name.

Around Idlewild Road and Cadia Village

I'd also pay attention to what's happening around Idlewild Road and Cadia Village.

There's a lot of new development coming into that area.

For some buyers, that's a positive. You're getting newer construction, nearby shopping and restaurants, and easy access to I-485.

But you're also buying into an area that's still changing.

There will be construction. Roads are changing. More homes are coming. More commercial development is coming. And all of that eventually means more cars.

I wouldn't automatically avoid it.

I'd just make sure you understand what the area is going to look like five years from now instead of only looking at what you see standing there today.

What About Property Taxes in Matthews?

Matthews is in Mecklenburg County, but because it's an incorporated town, you also have the Matthews municipal property tax.

For the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the Matthews rate is 27.95 cents per $100 of assessed value and Mecklenburg County's rate is 49.27 cents.

Put those together and you're at 77.22 cents per $100 before any other applicable fees or assessments.

On a home around that $495,000 median, that's roughly $3,800 per year using those two rates.

And this is where being around Matthews gets interesting.

Go over into Union County and you're dealing with a completely different tax structure. Go back into Charlotte and you're dealing with Charlotte's municipal rate.

You can drive a pretty short distance around here and change your town, county, schools and taxes.

That's why I always tell people not to shop this area based on a circle they drew on Zillow.

Those lines matter.

Who Does Matthews Make Sense For?

I think Matthews works really well for someone who likes being close to Charlotte but still wants to feel like they live somewhere.

You want local coffee shops. You want a farmers market on Saturday. You like having a downtown where there are events and people walking around. Maybe you want an older neighborhood with mature trees instead of a brand-new subdivision where every tree is six feet tall.

You can get that here without moving 45 minutes away from Charlotte.

And that's really what you're paying for.

What Matthews doesn't give you anymore is separation.

If you're moving out of a major city and your entire goal is to put some space between you and Charlotte, there are better options farther out.

Fort Mill feels different. Tega Cay feels different. Parts of Indian Land feel different. Go farther into Union County and it changes again.

Matthews is close.

Very close.

And for some people, that's exactly why it works.

Matthews Has Changed, But It Didn't Lose What Makes It Matthews

If you drive Independence Boulevard from Charlotte into Matthews today, there's no big empty stretch telling you that you've left one place and entered another. Charlotte grew right up to Matthews.

But once you get off Independence and into downtown, Matthews still feels different.

That's the part I think matters.

You're paying more than the Charlotte median to live here, so make sure the things you're paying for are things you care about.

If you're never going to use downtown, don't care about being close to Charlotte and really just want a newer house with a bigger yard, there may be better places to spend your money.

But if you want to stay close to Charlotte and still have a town center, local places you know by name and neighborhoods that have been here longer than the latest building boom, Matthews deserves a serious look.

If you're thinking about moving to Matthews, don't start by asking me whether Matthews is better than Charlotte.

Tell me what you're trying to get closer to, what you're trying to get away from and what you want your normal Tuesday to look like.

That's usually how we figure out whether Matthews makes sense.