Once sleepy and rural, Union County – southeast of Charlotte – today is the fastest-growing county in the metro area and the 19th-fastest-growing county in the nation. Today, Union County’s population is estimated at more than 163,000 but that number is expected to grow another 33 percent by 2020.
The county has many thriving communities, including Monroe, the county seat, and an intriguing blend of past and present. It’s home to highly regarded Wingate University, a private institution, and the West Campus of South Piedmont Community College in a new location on Old Charlotte Highway.
If you’re a Charlotte-area newcomer looking to live in Union, chances are you’re most interested in the western end of the county, along the county line close to Mecklenburg’s I-485 outerbelt. Growth has been so rapid in this area that the Union County school system has opened new elementary, middle and high schools in the area.
With about 8,500 residents, Weddington is primarily residential and wealthy. The “town center” is Weddington Corners shopping center. Charlotte’s Siskey Family YMCA – on Weddington Road in Matthews, less than a mile from Union County – includes a pool and water park, jogging track and other amenities.
Lake Forest Preserve in Weddington features homes starting at over 4,000 square feet and priced from the mid-$500s to the $700s.
Most of Marvin’s 1,400 residents moved here for the country atmosphere and homes with acreage. But there’s new construction too; look along Marvin-Weddington Road and Joe Kerr Road. Marvin Creek offers luxury homes from the $500s to the $700s. From Marvin going south to Waxhaw and beyond is horse country, a great place to look for acreage if you want to keep and ride horses.
Waxhaw takes its name from the Waxhaws, the Indian tribe that once inhabited the area. The town is known for its antiques, gift shops and galleries. Among Waxhaw’s new developments are Weddington Chase, with homes from $580,000 to $750,000; Quellin, with homes starting in the $330s up to $600,000; and The Reserve, with homes from the $300s to the $500s.
Wesley Chapel, at N.C. 84 and Potter Road between Weddington and Monroe, incorporated in 1998 around a century-old community. With 3,400 residents, it has a historic Methodist church site, an elementary school and lots of rolling green countryside. Champion Forest features homes from $450,000 to $550,000, and homes at Lindenwood range from the $300s to the $400s.
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