Raleigh vs. Charlotte: Which NC Metro Scores Higher? (2026)
By Sharon Ben-Moshe · August 10, 2026
Raleigh's ZIP codes average a 63/100 NeighborScore composite versus Charlotte's 53 — a gap driven by crime score, not schools. See the full breakdown of North Carolina's two largest metros, ZIP by ZIP.
Raleigh's scored ZIP codes average a NeighborScore composite of 63 out of 100, compared with Charlotte's 53 — a 10-point gap driven almost entirely by crime score, not schools. Here's how North Carolina's two largest metros compare across NeighborScore's crime, school, and value components.
Raleigh vs. Charlotte: The Numbers
- Raleigh (15 scored ZIP codes): overall 63, crime 65, school 60, value 34, average home price $563,707
- Charlotte (23 scored ZIP codes): overall 53, crime 45, school 61, value 37, average home price $550,984
- North Carolina statewide average: overall 58, crime 61, school 55, value 53
Crime Is What Separates These Two Metros
Raleigh and Charlotte score almost identically on schools — 60 versus 61, both comfortably above North Carolina's 55 statewide average. Where they diverge is crime: Raleigh's 65 sits above the state average, while Charlotte's 45 sits well below it. That 20-point gap, weighted at 53% of the overall composite, accounts for nearly all of the 10-point difference in average overall score between the two metros.
Top ZIP Code in Each Metro
- Raleigh: 27615 — overall 68, crime 65, school 71
- Charlotte: 28277 (Ballantyne) — overall 62, crime 45, school 82
Charlotte's top ZIP, 28277, actually posts a higher school score (82) than Raleigh's top ZIP (71) — it's Raleigh's higher citywide crime score, not schools, that gives 27615 the higher overall composite. At the other end, Raleigh's lowest-scoring ZIP, 27605, still posts an overall score of 54, while Charlotte's lowest, 28213, comes in at 47 — both below their metro's respective average.
Affordability Is a Near Tie
Neither metro is particularly affordable by North Carolina standards: Raleigh's value score of 34 and Charlotte's 37 both sit well below the state's 53 average, consistent with average home prices in both metros — $563,707 and $550,984 respectively — running above the statewide median. Value score is shown as affordability context and isn't weighted into the overall composite.
Bottom Line
Raleigh outscores Charlotte on NeighborScore's overall composite, 63 to 53, primarily because its ZIP codes carry a higher crime score — schools and affordability are close to a wash between the two metros. Charlotte covers more scored ZIP codes (23 versus 15), giving buyers a wider range of individual neighborhoods to compare. See the full Research Triangle school ranking for a closer look at Raleigh-area schools, or browse more city comparisons on NeighborScore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Raleigh or Charlotte score higher on NeighborScore?
Raleigh’s scored ZIP codes average an overall composite of 63/100, versus Charlotte’s 53 — a 10-point gap driven almost entirely by crime score, not schools.
Do Raleigh and Charlotte have similar schools?
Yes. Raleigh averages a 60 school score and Charlotte averages 61, both above North Carolina’s 55 statewide average — schools are nearly a wash between the two metros.
What drives the overall score gap between Raleigh and Charlotte?
Crime score. Raleigh averages 65, above North Carolina’s 61 state average, while Charlotte averages 45, well below it. That 20-point gap, weighted at 53% of the composite, accounts for nearly all of the metros’ 10-point overall difference.
Which ZIP code has the highest school score between the two metros?
Charlotte’s Ballantyne ZIP (28277) posts an 82 school score, higher than Raleigh’s top ZIP (27615) at 71 — but Raleigh’s higher citywide crime score still gives 27615 the higher overall composite, 68 versus 62.