Charlotte/Mecklenburg County, NC
2022 Trust for Public Land ParkScore® Ranking: #83
Charlotte/Mecklenburg County’s ranking is based on five characteristics of an effective park system:
access, investment, acreage, amenities, and equity.
access, investment, acreage, amenities, and equity.
How We Calculated Charlotte/Mecklenburg County’s ParkScore® Rating:
Access
4 out of 100
Acreage
64 out of 100
Investment
49 out of 100
Amenities
41 out of 100
Equity
41 out of 100
We're working to ensure that every person, in every neighborhood, in every city
across America has a quality park within a 10-minute walk of home.
across America has a quality park within a 10-minute walk of home.
Is Charlotte/Mecklenburg County meeting that goal?
37%
of residents live within a 10 minute walk of a park.
Median for the 100 ParkScore® cities: 75%
Median for the 14,000 cities and towns in our ParkServe® database: 55%
Median for the 14,000 cities and towns in our ParkServe® database: 55%
Percent of residents within a
10-minute walk of a park by age
10-minute walk of a park by age
Children (0 - 19)
Adults (20 - 64)
Seniors (65+)
Percent of residents within a
10-minute walk of a park by income
10-minute walk of a park by income
Percent of residents within a 10-minute walk of a park by race/ethnicity
*Excludes those that report Hispanic origin (which is captured separately from race by the U.S. Census).
Nearby park space by race/ethnicity
Additional Findings:
Residents in neighborhoods where most people identify as a person of color have access to 6% less park space per person than those in predominantly white neighborhoods.
Any Census-designated race/ethnicity not shown above does not meet the minimum threshold to be displayed.
Nearby park space by income
Additional Findings:
Residents in low-income neighborhoods have access to 36% more park space per person than those in high-income neighborhoods.
6%
of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County's city land is used for parks and recreation.
Median for 100 ParkScore® cities: 19%
Median for all 14,000 cities and towns in our ParkServe® database: 15%
Where in Charlotte/Mecklenburg County Are Parks Needed Most?
Charlotte/Mecklenburg County Has 375 Parks
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Charlotte/Mecklenburg County Park Amenities Compared to the 100 Most-Populous U.S. Cities
Basketball Hoops
62 points out of 100
4.6 per 10,000 people
Dog Parks
32 points out of 100
1 per 100,000 people
Playgrounds
58 points out of 100
3.7 per 10,000 people
Bathrooms
28 points out of 100
1 per 10,000 people
Recreation and Senior Centers
30 points out of 100
0.5 per 20,000 people
Splashpads
35 points out of 100
1 per 100,000 people
Charlotte/Mecklenburg County’s Park Spending Per Capita
Charlotte/Mecklenburg County’s total spending per capita: $106
National Averages, Spending Per Capita:
City agency: $83 (85%) Other public agencies: $7 (7%)
Private organizations: $5 (5%)
Monetized volunteer hours: $3 (3%)
TOTAL: $98
These park facts are derived in part from Trust for Public Land's ParkServe® database.
Read more about our ParkServe database.
Read more about our ParkServe database.
Download the Data
Our 10-Minute Walk™ campaign calls on mayors to demonstrate their commitment to parks and adopt long-term, system-wide strategies to ensure every resident has a great park close to home.
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