Cornelius, North Carolina

Cornelius is a suburban town found along the beautiful Lake Norman in northern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, in the United States. It is an important part of the Charlotte area and is close to the big city of Charlotte. Many families and people live in Cornelius, and it is a nice place to call home.

In the year 2020, more than 31,000 people lived in Cornelius. This number grew from about 25,000 people in 2010, showing that more and more families are choosing to live in this peaceful town near the lake.

History

The area around Cornelius has been home to people since the 1750s. A place called Potts Plantation was built there in 1753. The town of Cornelius was created in 1893 but officially became a town in 1905. It started because of a disagreement about weighing cotton.

Cornelius has grown very fast since the 2000s. In 1990, fewer than 2,600 people lived there, but by 2020, the population was over 31,000. Potts Plantation was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

Geography

Cornelius is found along Lake Norman in northern Mecklenburg County. The town is about 20 miles north of Charlotte. Interstate 77 goes through the middle of Cornelius and connects to Charlotte and Statesville. Other roads like U.S. Route 21 and North Carolina Highway 115 also pass through the town.

The town covers an area of 13.2 square miles, with most of it being land and a small part being water next to Lake Norman and the Catawba River. Some parts of Cornelius drain toward the Rocky River, which flows into the Pee Dee River.

Demographics

2020 census

According to the 2020 census, Cornelius had a population of 31,412. The median age was 42.9 years. About 21.8% of residents were younger than 18, and 17.1% were 65 years or older. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males age 18 and over.

All residents lived in urban areas. There were 13,528 households, with 50.5% being married-couple households, 15.7% having a male householder without a spouse, and 27.9% having a female householder without a spouse. About 29.8% of households consisted of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. About 29.5% of households included children under 18.

There were 14,536 housing units, with 6.9% being vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%, and the rental vacancy rate was 6.1%.

2000 census

The 2000 census recorded 11,969 people living in Cornelius. The population density was 1,415.5 people per square mile. The racial makeup was 91.65% White, 5.62% African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.24% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people made up 2.79% of the population.

Of the 5,113 households, 28.1% had children under 18 living with them. About 56.8% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder without a husband, and 34.0% were non-families. Some 27.0% of households were one person, and 5.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.34, and the average family size was 2.87.

The age distribution showed 22.4% under 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 36.7% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% aged 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.9 males.

Income and poverty

In 2010, the median household income in Cornelius was $83,789.

Schools and libraries

The people who live in Cornelius go to school in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Some of the elementary schools are Cornelius Elementary and JV Washam Elementary. Bailey Middle School is the main middle school, and William A. Hough High School is the high school for the area. Hough High School opened in August 2010 and now has more than 2,000 students.

There are also some private schools in Cornelius, such as Grace Covenant Academy, New Beginnings Christian Academy, and Phoenix Montessori Academy.

Cornelius has a library that is part of the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. You can find it in the center of Cornelius on Catawba Avenue, just east of exit 28 on I-77.

Notable people

Cornelius, North Carolina, has been home to many accomplished individuals. Erika Brown is an Olympic swimmer, and Vicky Bruce plays professional women's soccer. Kevin Conway and Blaine Donahue are professional stock car racing drivers, as are Amber Cope, Christian Elder, Erik Jones, Ricky Rudd, Scot Walters, and Joey Logano, who also lives in Cornelius.

Other notable residents include Jerry K. Crump, a soldier who received the Medal of Honor during the Korean War, and Michael Jordan, the famous NBA basketball player. Steve Letarte is a sportscaster and former NASCAR crew chief, while Leilani Munter is a former race car driver and environmental activist. Mark Fields played as an NFL cornerback, Daniel Steedman plays soccer, and Brian Voss is a renowned bowler. Politicians Jeff Tarte and Thom Tillis also call Cornelius home, and Hoyt Wilhelm was an MLB pitcher and member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.