We are moving to Matthews, SE Charlotte. Anyone here live there or near there? We are checking out 5-6 bed., 3-4 bath. homes for rent. I will leave out the details prompting this move, but there are very specific reasons why we must move to the general area.

Please advise. My thanks in advance.

Edited for clarity. My initial request should have been more specific.

Anyone here live there or any of the close surrounding areas that have above average schools, low crime and shopping nearby?


In addition, any indoor gun ranges close by that allows sub 18 year old shooters (my grandkids), and weapons instructors who certify for N.C. concealed permits, as well as decent gun shops nearby.

Again, thanks in advance.

Do you have to live in Matthews? Not Indian trail that literally borders it?

No, but so far after much looking for rentals on the internet one 6bdr, 4bath. home looks promising in Matthews. Still looking though.

I can't help much as far as places to rent but I can help with ranges.  I usually go to Point Blank range since it is $20 for all day range time.  Point Blank has a decent firearm selection but is pretty skimpy on parts if you do a lot of AR15 builds.  For schools, make sure its not Mecklenburg, I went to school in Union county and it was easy to see the difference in education between the two.  I do not remember much of the area having a large crime rate but that changes as you head towards Monroe.  Matthews' does have a neat festival around labor day in downtown called Matthews Alive.

I would also suggest the town of Mint Hill. The lines are bit blurry with growth over running  from all sides

Mint Hill and Matthews are both small towns that the land would have been swallowed/anex'ed into Charlotte if they didn't exist. They serve as suburbs of Charlotte. The local High School "Independence" has a great sports record for championships. So much so there were fraudulent registrations for kids to go there just to play on their teams.

Over the last 2 decades the area has gone from country/farming lands to dense suburbs.  I would suggest looking in the Danbrook Park (off of lawyers road)  neighborhood because several members live in there.


Coming from Michigan be warned the area and government freaks out & shutting down everything at a 1/4" of snow and/or ice. Stores will be stripped bare of bread and milk .  If snow reaches several inches 3-6" level expect massive media multi-week  continuous coverage of the "Blizzard of ____(insert year)". So due to the limited amount,  people don't have the practical time driving in such conditions , nor  develop good muscle memory,  which leads to lots of wrecks. The weather trend has been warmer and drier winters so the  snow based sports in the mountains(3-4 hours away depending on where you want to go) might not even have the ability to use their snow making machines.  The winter heating bills will shock for how low they are but the summer a/c costs will equally shock you in reverse. You are looking at an area far enough inland that Hurricanes seldom make in this far and if they do they are reduced to tropical storm levels.  Still dangerous but not as bad. The last one which was a rarity occurred in 1989 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Hugo

Do not expect to find basements and/or cellars.  Despite having good soil for such they are not very common and crawlspaces under houses have  given way to slab pours. You also will have a hard time finding any large acreage in the area. I don't know if that is important. This area places you about 3.5 hours from the beach and/or mountains. So a day trip to clear your head is doable.


Gun shops, the warning goes for Hyatt for absurdity high prices but they have a very large inventory also. Although   several of their staff couldn't figured out  if they CETME stock pins despite having H&K G3 and 91s on the wall behind them.  You will lose some on the Classic Arms  deals for now  having to pay sales tax but you can do pick ups from their local FFL, to save  on shipping costs.  So that may be a wash. PSA  hasn't built a store across the SC state line so you're good for no sales tax but still having shipping. UPS sends your shipment to Greensboro  2 hours north then back down to the Charlotte hub to get to you. Logically it doesn't make sense, but that is where there state hub is located.  Quantico Tactical has a shop in Aberdeen, NC which will mean sales tax and shipping. Unless you make arrangements to have them bring the item(s) to a local gun show(no shipping fees). Even if you want  to check out an item first hand *please don't abuse this nice benefit*... The QT team will go out of their way to make things right, if at their booth at the gun show, mention you're Arf'comer and get an extra discount.

There is also City Data which has a large and active forum  for Charlotte(which includes Mint Hill, Matthews, Pineville, Indian trail, etc) Basically Existing Towns and county lines have stopped Charlotte's technical city limits growth but all the surrounding area including SC (where gas is about 30-35 cents cheaper per gallon) as the suburbs. http://www.city-data.com/forum/charlotte/    A lot of services are combined with the city and county into one family like schools, police, fire departments,etc.

For the SC hometown forum see  https://www.ar15.com/forums/f_8/65_South-Carolina.html Living across the boarder may workout better for you, depending how far away your requirements are from the Matthews center point.


Hope that helps some.

Thanks for the info fellas.

Moved to this area (Indian Land, SC here) from Wisconsin, so similar climate as you're moving from. It was easy to make fun of the fear of snow until I drove to work (because I can drive in snow) and got a taste for what roads with NO salt and NO plowing are like at speed. It is a fair bit trickier to come down an off ramp safely on ice because there's no salt. And even though I can do it, I'm not willing to bet the person behind me will and not push me into an intersection full of people who also can't stop. That will make me dead. I (and everyone else who can) just work from home on the 2 or 3 snow days a year.

I wasn't shocked at all -- great lakes summers are hot and humid just like here. They just have less livable weather the other 9 months of the year too. Average July temps in Detroit are 83 degrees, in Charlotte they are 89 degrees. My heating/cooling bills are far lower here.

Cellars originated as a place to keep food cool but not frozen during the winter. Freezing isn't an issue in the Carolinas so basements were never worth the time and expense.

Nichols Store in Rock Hill, SC has a fair selection of AR parts. Picked up a few LPKs there when I needed something local and quick.

I'm glad I live in SC. Charlotte liberals can't touch us with their crappy laws, and South Carolina is less likely than most states to get pulled into liberal fantasyland by a few highly populated cities. We've also managed to keep folks from New York and California disgusted with us so it's not hip to live in SC and all the libs move to NC and do their best to screw up that great state.

It's not all great, but after living in PA where Philadelphia decides all the elections, and Wisconsin, where Madison decides all the elections, and north of Illinois where Chicago decides all the elections, it's nice to live in a state where the entire state isn't disregarded in favor of a single liberal enclave. NC has a little more of that between Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, Greensboro, and yuppy Asheville.

Overall moving to the Carolinas is the best thing ever. There's nothing my family seriously dislikes about living here and as far as I'm concerned I'm never ever leaving.

Indian trail Goes to Sun Valley middle and High school, which are much better than Mecklenburg county.  Just because you live right next to a good school in Mecklenburg does not mean your kids will go to it. The Char meck school system is pushing hard to start busing kids around  for diversity.  Like busing around a 1st grader for an extra 2.5 hours a day is really gonna help them in school...  The "Good" schools in Meck county tend to be in the well off areas, which have bad drug problems, more so than the inner city schools believe it or not.  
Indian Trail also means law enforcement is run by the county Sheriff, Eddie Cathy, who is a damn good lawman. Those riots in Charlotte last year? Would never have gotten off the ground in Union County.

Thanks again, good info on the schools. This move is all about the grand kids and where they will be going to school in the Charlotte area.

Renting is our only viable option at this time.

*CMS= Charlotte ??Mecklenburg School Systems The city and county merged systems and it was to the detriment of students outside of the city system

Are the kids  interested in the Arts? Charlotte's school system has a ""magnet school"" with a"" lottery system"" that is focused more for  the creative artists.  http://cmschoice.org/your-choices/schools/    There is very little else positive  I can say about the school system. If they are serious and in High school age I would Check with NC's School of the Arts in Winston-Salem to see if they still have their high school student classes option.  In the arts world a degree from there matters more than most universities.

There are several Magnet  schools which focus on different paths, IE: Business & Entrepreneurship, Middle Colleges ,Early College, International Baccalaureate, World Languages and Language Immersion, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Math, Visual & Performing Arts  More info at  http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/cmsdepartments/ci/MagnetPrograms/Pages/MagnetThemes.aspx

If the kids are into sports that may also narrow your options. Based on certain schools having better championship/playoffs records.


A quick look says CMS are on round 3 of the lottery for the magnet (better quality focused education) schools at http://cmschoice.org/more-info/round-2-lottery-results/

One big down side is the whole "Testing good", so the system gets more money from the state and federal is what the curriculum is geared for. Education takes a back seat to that.

That busing students is going to likely be repeat of the horrid treatment of students that was ruled illegal by the courts against CMS already and they were forced to stop it..  CMS is repeat offender on violations of students and common sense.  

Massive golden parachutes to superintendents who bail often as soon as they cross that  time line to the gold.  People don't recommend the school system for kids and/or teachers looking for work.  The school board meetings about hiring and salary negotiations/ offers for jobs like the  Superintendent  are often closed door(what great national security secrets there must be.... require that the public needs to be shut out from...   Until the deal is done and then the tax payers are stuck with a leech the school board hired away from another school system. If they left their old school system for more money what do you think their loyalty is for us?  Meanwhile guess what the schools need? Less generous golden parachutes would help the teachers with supplies. Parents used to go to used book stores to buy all the common classics/mandatory reading books and gave them to schools so they would  have enough copies. not sure if they still do.

The horrid school I was force bused to had murders around it and was so bad and dilapidated they tore down the whole  thing and rebuilt it new a few years ago. Even the 10-15ish year old brick section that had  a/c was scraped. It stood separate from the rest of the buildings except for being connected by carport style covered sidewalks.   Even the schools nature trail was off limits because of the dangerous neighborhood. Yes, teachers could not take their class on the nature trail on the school's property because the risk of harm was likely. If a kid doesn't feel safe how well do you think they learn?

The summary of that is, even if you buy/rent a house within certain school's areas, that doesn't mean the school board won't change that line around and now your address sends kids to the bad schools. So   check to see if there are rumors of being reassigned soon and/or is being fought.   If i had kids I would never send them to CMS, while I don't agree with some of the private religious schools, I would weigh that & the trade off in their favor.

I know it isn't likely  but if you could check out the schools before hand it would help. Even just watching the general behavior of the students between classes and/or at lunch. Might shed some light to general behavior and the environment. Which is important.


Best of luck to you and your family where ever you may land.

Covertness lives in Mint Hill in the Danbrook Park neighborhood.

I was raised in Matthews-Mint Hill. My Mom and Grandfather were both business owners in Matthews, we just lived off of 51 on the "Mint Hill" side. Its growing dense over there but is still about as nice a neighborhood you'll find in the Charlotte Area. I will Echo trying to get into Union County or Even Cabarrus County schools for the kids. After elm, we used family addresses to get myself and brother into Cabarrus schools not far past 24/27 (albemarle rd) where we lived off of 51 (Matthews-Mint Hill rd)

Charlotte Mecklenburg has bussed for years.

It was the school system involved in the original Supreme Court case that held that bussing was constitutional, Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, 402 U.S. 1 (1971).

It started to scale back bussing in the early 90's, and in 1997 a district judge ruled that the mandate of a "unitary system" was met, and bussing would no longer be necessary or allowed. This ruling was upheld by the 4th Circuit, and SCOTUS declined to grant cert.

I'm not surprised to hear the school board wants to reimplement it.

My thanks to all who have replied. Some good info here. The first house in the school district we wanted fell through. The hunt continues. My daughter is like a bull dog and will not rest until our goal is achieved this summer. This entire process is for the grand children and their educational pursuits.

Again, thank-you all for the informative replies.

Waxhaw aint far away, and our own DV8 had a BBQ shop there

Which restaurant?? I'll come have a bite.

I usually go to 521 or Midwood.

He accidently

I agree w/ some of the posters above.  If you can swing a town bordering Matthews, I'd recommend it.  I'm in Indian Trail.

We just signed a lease for a house in Waxhaw. Hope to be there by end of July first part of August. Looking forward to being the umpteenth Yankee to move to your fair state. I think you should close the borders as soon as I/we get there.

They aren't my borders.  I snuck in too.  NYC native.  ;)

I should have typed "the borders".

LOL!  Glad to have ya down here regardless!

DV8 speaks the truth.  His food is amazing, and his ice cream is out of this world.

The area is a major growth town. It is hard to find people who were born and raised here. I can't even claim it, although I was still staring up at the ceiling from the crib when I came here. I got to grow up with one side of our street with woods to play in and  the other side had  the remainder of large farm fields before brush had grown. It wasn't  until  the late 1980's early 190's  they put a over a hundred homes on the old farm land.


Welcome, Waxhaw is nice, I worked on a film out there. The Gift of Love" aka "Set for Life " starring Andy Griffith was shot around Lincolnton (Doucet's house) Weddington (graveyard) and Waxhaw (pottery barn) all in North Carolina. This was a made for TV movie. The owners of the Pottery barn location (it was several hundred maybe feet from their house) didn't know what to make of show folks humor. one of the  head carps tripped in the old milk barn doing the concrete for the pottery barn floor, the owners walks up right after and the guy is making cement angels. Like snow angels but... It was after the obscenities and splashing, which of course he missed and he just stared and shook his head at us yet again.

We finally arrived yesterday. Had a lot of help from friends/neighbors getting out of Mich. The wife and I are in lousy health so it would not have been possible without them. We owe a few of them a debt we will never be able to repay, plus our family were eagerly awaiting our arrival to unload all the accumulated junk (minus sorting and stuff sold in a moving sale) from 45 yrs. together.

Very glad to be here where the Mrs. and I can be surrounded by our immediate family for our final years. The neighborhood here in Waxhaw looks very nice and peaceful. The schools are highly rated and will start next week for the 3 grandkids.

Perhaps I will have the privilege of meeting some fellow arfcomers down here. I don't get out as much as I would prefer.

Looking forward to trying the Lazy Pig BBQ also.

We are elated to finally be here and I will check in here often.

At my age I don't go out often or for long periods of time, here or back in Mich. Rain gives me a chance at my weekly outdoor bath.

Thank-you. We are extremely happy/thankful to be here in this beautiful State with our core family.

After settling in for about a month, is there any advice and/or tips we should remember to give in future posts asking about the area?


I'm glad you found a good house in neighborhood that makes you happy.  Hopefully you're close enough to  take advantage of the border and South Carolina's cheaper taxes on few items like gasoline. Not being inside Charlotte city's limits and Mecklenburg County's  lowers the amount savings per gallon and tank full.

You'll have to wait until next year August 2018, so pay attention to the back to school "No Sales Tax" weekend of SC and plan to shop accordingly. Info about what is and isn't tax free *pdf warning* https://dor.sc.gov/resources-site/lawandpolicy/Advisory%20Opinions/RR10-7.pdf  So plan your new deluxe computer at the right time if buying an expensive model. Amongst many other items.  If only you could convince the S/O, to do her clothing and shoe shopping then for the year......  NC did away with the same tax free weekend several years ago. So across the borders  goes a lot of business. That type of lost revenue is the only reason we have the legal lottery  now.

Thanks for the tips on the no sales tax day/days in S.C. We live about 7 miles from the border. I have saved the link you posted for future reference.

My main concern in moving was the time requirements in starting over to obtain a carry license. I'm not sure I am willing to go through it all and spend the money at my age. After having a carry permit as a civilian and through work since 1982, I'm not sure I will miss it as I seldom leave the house due to mobility problems. My son is still young and he will no doubt jump through the hoops to get one. I may decide to pursue it. Haven't made up my mind just yet.

I really have no suggestions regarding your question. The area we live in is nice, shopping, doctors etc. are nearby and we are "as snug as bugs in a rug."

Thanks for the tip and the link. I am tempted as long as it is fully honored, without hassle, here in N.C.

It is. I grew up in Union County, and go home all the time to see family. I have a VA CHP and it is fully recognized. VA resident/non-resident permits are exactly the same, in terms of who accepts them, what they authorized, etc.

I'd love to hear more on how it's going and would welcome advice for newcomers.  My wife and I are moving to the area in January and have been looking at mint hill or Indian Trail.

Indian Trail Stallings areas - with Porter Ridge or Sun Valley schools are good. Harrisburg, Locust, Midland aren't too bad - housing may be a little cheaper.

Been here from Chicago 35 years - I have & I wouldn't live in Mecklenburg County for nothin!

Hit me up when you get here, we'll run down to Efird's Outdoor range in Albemarle & burn off some powder.

hell yeah, will do!  We've got a rental in NW Monroe, near Indian Trail, moving in mid-January.  Figure we'll take a year to figure out where we want to settle down.  It's likely that one or both of us ends up in the city for work so we want our commutes to be reasonable but I'd like to be somewhere rather rural.