Commercial Real Estate Market in Charlotte, NC
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: August 31
1,385 active listings and 19,046 off-market properties in Charlotte, NC. Commercial property asks $237/SF to buy and $22.77/SF/Yr to lease. Office vacancy runs 24.6%, the loosest of the segments tracked here.
Market Trends
Charlotte, NC spans 403.3 square miles in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 31 August 2026.
Office
Office vacancy in Charlotte, NC runs 24.6% in 2025, up from 10.2% in 2019.
Vacancy Rate %
Retail
Retail vacancy in Charlotte, NC runs 3.4% in 2025, down from 6.2% in 2019.
Vacancy Rate %
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Charlotte, NC runs 8.1% in 2025, up from 6.2% in 2019. Nearly 3.2x the 2022 low of 2.5%.
Vacancy Rate %
Multifamily
Multifamily vacancy in Charlotte, NC runs 11.3% across the South region in 2025, up from 8.5% in 2022.
Vacancy Rate % in South region
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Residential 63.2%
- Industrial 14.9%
- Mixed use 9.8%
- Commercial 4.6%
- Civic 4.5%
- Planned_development 2.1%
- Open space 0%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Neighborhood 1 Zoning District
Neighborhood 1 Zoning District
Neighborhood 1 Zoning District
Manufacturing And Logistics Zoning District
Neighborhood 2 Zoning District
Charlotte, NC zones 239,324 acres across 273 districts. Commercial zoning covers 4.6% of zoned land, residential 63.2%, open space 0% and industrial 14.9%. The largest single district is Neighborhood 1 Zoning District at 33.5%. For commercial buyers the practical constraint is that only 19.5% of land carries a commercial or industrial designation.
Neighborhood 1 Zoning District (N1-A)
The N1-A Zoning District allows for the development of residential dwellings on lots of 10000 sq ft or greater. This Zoning District is typically applied to established neighborhoods
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Charlotte, NC has 955,169 residents in 424,356 households. Density runs 2,369 people per square mile. Median household income here is $85,752 and median gross rent $1,519 a month.
955,169
Population
424,356
Households
2.3
Avg Household Size
35
Median Age
47%
College-Educated
90%
High-School Grad
403.3 sq mi
ZIP Area
2,369
Density / Sq Mi
$85,752
Median Household Income
$51,073
Median Earnings
$1,519
Median Rent
$381,724
Median Home Value
Tools
Lease vs Buy Breakeven
At $22.77/SF/Yr lease vs $237/SF buy → buying wins if held > 1.5 years.
At a 9.6% gross asking yield the payback reads short relative to leasing. Assumes 30% down at 6.5% fixed, 2% a year in taxes and upkeep, 3% appreciation, 5% opportunity cost, 2% closing plus 5% selling costs, and a 3% annual rent escalator.
Nearby Markets
| Market | Average Sale Price, $/SF | Average Lease Price, $/SF/Yr |
|---|---|---|
| Pineville | — | — |
| Stallings | — | — |
| Weddington | — | — |
| Matthews | — | $22.12 |
Commercial property in Charlotte, NC asks $237/SF.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per square foot for commercial property in Charlotte?
Commercial property in Charlotte, NC asks an average of $237 per square foot. The 6 most recent recorded sales traded at a median of $416/SF.
How much does it cost to lease commercial space in Charlotte?
Asking lease rates in Charlotte, NC average $22.77 per square foot per year.
What is the office vacancy rate in Charlotte?
Office vacancy in Charlotte, NC is 24.6% as of 2025, up from 10.2% in 2019. That is the highest in the 7-year series. Retail vacancy is 3.4%, below Office vacancy.
Which property type has the lowest vacancy in Charlotte?
Retail has the lowest vacancy in Charlotte, NC at 3.4%, inside a 3.1–6.2% band since 2019. For comparison: office 24.6%, industrial 8.1% and multifamily 11.3% (South).
Is it cheaper to lease or buy commercial space in Charlotte?
Buying beats leasing in Charlotte, NC if the property is held longer than 1.5 years, comparing $22.77/SF/Yr asking rent with $237/SF asking price. The model assumes 30% down at 6.5% fixed, 2% of value per year in taxes and upkeep, 3% appreciation, 5% opportunity cost on the cash and a 3% annual rent escalator.
What zoning applies to commercial property in Charlotte?
Charlotte, NC zones 239,324 acres across 273 districts, of which 4.6% is commercial and 14.9% industrial. The largest single district is Neighborhood 1 Zoning District at 33.5% of zoned land. The N1-A Zoning District allows for the development of residential dwellings on lots of 10000 sq ft or greater. This Zoning District is typically applied to established neighborhoods Residential zoning covers 63.2% and open space 0%.
Where does Realmo's Charlotte market data come from?
Realmo compiles Charlotte, NC figures from 6 recent recorded sales, 764 active sale listings, 621 active lease listings, 19,046 tracked off-market properties, the current Charlotte zoning release. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 31 August 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 764 active for-sale and 621 active for-lease listings in Charlotte, NC. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 239,324 zoned acres across 273 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 31 August 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- multifamily vacancy is reported at South region level.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 31 August 2026 · report a data issue
