Cornelius is a town in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, home to about 32,783 people across 13 square miles. Its ZIP code is 28031.
Homes sold for a median of $295 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Cornelius. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
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| Nearest major airport | Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)18 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (USA)11 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Charlotte, NC18 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA443 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Cornelius; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Cornelius had 31,412 residents in the 2020 census, up 162% since 2000.
It’s the 32nd largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.
Mecklenburg County grew from 55,268 residents in 1900 to 1,115,482 in 2020.
Mecklenburg County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 92°F in summer, and winter lows average 29°F. About 47.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 3 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Concord, NC weather station (17 miles away).
732,418 jobs at 36,472 businesses in Mecklenburg County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
426 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Cornelius.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 41 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 12 |
| Dentists | 25 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 46 |
| Mental health providers | 206 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 57 |
| Optometrists | 3 |
| Chiropractors | 36 |
| Pharmacies | 12 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (19 nearby)
Grocery stores (11 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Libraries (3 nearby)
Museums
Theaters and performance venues (2 nearby)
Counts are within about 2.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1893.
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Lakeside Charter Academy. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornelius ElementaryCornelius | K–5 | 542 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| J.V. Washam ElementaryCornelius | K–5 | 818 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| Lakeside Charter AcademyCornelius | K–8 | 221 | Charter | 2.2 mi |
| Bailey MiddleCornelius | 6–8 | 1,315 | Public | 2.0 mi |
| William Amos Hough HighCornelius | 9–12 | 2,518 | Public | 2.5 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grace Covenant AcademyCornelius | Pre-K–8 | 226 | Other religious | 1.4 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.