If you’ve been weighing these two towns on the property tax rate, someone has probably already told you that the Union County side of the line is the cheaper place to buy. That part is true, and it isn’t close. Weddington’s combined county and town rate for 2026 to 2027 is 0.4692 per $100 of assessed value, against 0.7722 in Matthews, so on the same $500,000 house you’d owe $2,346 a year in Weddington and $3,861 in Matthews, a difference of $1,515 (Mecklenburg County FY2026-2027 jurisdiction tax rate chart; Union County FY2026-2027 adopted budget; Town of Weddington).
The trouble with stopping there is that hardly anyone buys the same house in both towns. Weddington’s median sale price was $1,170,000 over the three months to August 2026. Matthews was $497,500.
So the lower rate is real and the saving mostly isn’t. The rate is the easy part; what it costs you depends on which house you end up buying. I’m Steve Jarrell. I live in Weddington, I co-lead The Longleaf Group at eXp Realty with my wife Amanda, and I sell in both towns. What follows is the tax, the price, the land, the services, the schools and the drive, each with the source it came from.
15 min read | By Steve Jarrell, The Longleaf Group at eXp Realty | Updated October 2026
Free · 26-Page Insider Guide
Picking a South Charlotte town? Start with what the money buys.
Towns compared, NC vs SC taxes and schools side by side, and the 5 mistakes out-of-state buyers make.
What This Guide Covers
- Weddington NC vs Matthews NC: what you’re really choosing between
- So which town has the cheaper tax bill?
- Why does Weddington cost more than twice as much?
- What each town does for you, and what you pay for yourself
- Schools: two districts, not two rankings
- How much longer is the drive from Weddington?
- Weddington NC vs Matthews NC: who each town suits
- Frequently asked questions
Weddington NC vs Matthews NC: what you’re really choosing between
You’re choosing between a town that does things for you and one that leaves the land alone.
Matthews is a Mecklenburg County town of 31,666 people with its own police department, a walkable historic downtown, sidewalks out front and a tax bill to match. Weddington is a Union County town of 14,915 across roughly 11,000 acres, with almost no commercial land, no police department and lots that start near an acre (NC Office of State Budget and Management certified estimates, July 1 2025).
The Short Answer
Weddington has the lower property tax rate and Matthews has the lower tax bill, because the typical Weddington house costs about two and a third times as much. Rates are for 2026 to 2027 from Mecklenburg County, Union County and the Town of Weddington; prices and drive times are dated on each line below.
Key numbers, Weddington and Matthews:
- Combined county and town rate per $100: Matthews 0.7722, Weddington 0.4692
- Tax on the same $500,000 home: Matthews $3,861 a year, Weddington $2,346
- Rate applied to each town’s own median sale price: Matthews about $3,842, Weddington about $5,490
- Median sale price, three months to August 2026: Matthews $497,500, Weddington $1,170,000
- Median price per square foot, Redfin’s current reading: Matthews $230, Weddington $302
- Free-flow drive to Uptown Charlotte: Matthews 11.9 miles and 19 minutes, Weddington 16.2 miles and 28 minutes
The mistake I see most often on this pair is treating the rate as the answer instead of the first input. A lower rate on a much higher price is not a saving, it is a smaller slice of a bigger number. So I run both towns against one value first, then against each town’s own median, and I want both figures in front of me before I say anything about which side is cheaper. One of them on its own will flatter whichever town you already liked.
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So which town has the cheaper tax bill?
On the same house, Weddington, by $1,515 a year. At each town’s own median, Matthews, by about $1,650. Both are true at once. Which one applies depends on what you’re shopping for.
Mecklenburg County charges 49.27 cents per $100 of assessed value and the Town of Matthews adds 27.95 cents, which the county’s own FY2026-2027 chart prints as a combined 0.7722 inside the town limits. Union County holds its total at 43.42 cents and the Town of Weddington adds 3.5 cents, for 0.4692. Matthews runs about 65 percent higher per $100 of value.
Now apply them. A $500,000 assessment in Matthews produces $3,861 a year in county and town property tax. The same assessment in Weddington produces $2,346. If you could buy the identical house in either place, that would be the end of it.
You can’t, though.
Run each town against what sells there and the result turns over. At the Matthews median of $497,500, that rate would run about $3,842 a year. At the Weddington median of $1,170,000, about $5,490. Those are sale prices rather than tax assessments, so read them as the shape of the gap rather than as a bill, but the shape is the point: the lower rate loses to the higher price by roughly $1,650 a year.
Two details before you budget. Matthews charges a $25 town vehicle fee on top of the rate. And neither rate is static: Matthews sat at 0.2665 for the 2024 and 2025 bills before moving to 0.2795, while Weddington went from 2.5 cents to 3.5 over the same stretch.
Where do your Union County dollars actually go? The county splits its 43.42 cents five ways: 11.24 cents to the general fund, 1.06 to debt, 26.78 to education operating, 3.89 to education debt and 0.45 to economic development. Chairman Brian Helms put it plainly when the budget passed: about 71 percent of the county rate supports the schools, leaving “just 12.75 cents of the tax rate” for everything else.
Why does Weddington cost more than twice as much?
Because you’re buying a bigger house on a bigger piece of ground. The square foot itself is only about 31 percent dearer, and that is the part of the Weddington number buyers misread.
Over the three months to August 2026 Weddington’s median sale price was $1,170,000, up 14.1 percent on the same period last year. Matthews was $497,500, down 3.4 percent. That is a price gap of about 135 percent. But on Redfin’s current reading the median price per square foot was $302 in Weddington against $230 in Matthews, a gap of about 31 percent. So more than twice the price does not mean more than twice the square foot. The rest of the gap is house size and land.
The land is the rest of it, and Weddington’s ordinance is blunt about why. It sets a minimum lot size of 40,000 square feet in the R-40 single-family district, 60,000 in R-60 and 80,000 in R-80. Forty thousand square feet is about nine tenths of an acre. A conservation option allows lots down to 18,000 square feet, but the footnote closes it: lot sizes have to average at least 20,000 square feet across any major subdivision the council approves. The town describes itself the way its ordinance does, as “almost entirely of single-family homes on lots of one acre or more.” I wrote up how that rule really works in lot sizes in Weddington NC.
Then there is what the town refuses to build. Weddington covers about 11,000 acres and only 27 of them are zoned commercial. Twenty-seven. All of it sits in one small area the town calls the Town Center. Matthews has a historic downtown with a street grid, sidewalks and storefronts. That is why one town has somewhere to walk to and the other has a crossroads.
Both markets are slower than they were. Matthews homes took a median 44 days to sell in August 2026, eight days longer than a year earlier; Weddington took 49, seventeen days longer. The South Charlotte market data hub carries the monthly numbers.
What each town does for you, and what you pay for yourself
Matthews runs its own services. Weddington buys or forgoes most of them, and that is the trade behind the rate gap. If you’re coming from a place where the town handles all of it, this is the part that will surprise you most.
Start with policing. Matthews has its own police department and its own chief. Weddington has neither. It contracts with the Union County Sheriff’s office for five officers assigned specifically to the town, on top of the county’s own coverage. That contract is not fixed: the FY2027 budget carries a 13.3 percent increase, an extra $87,115 in one year, a large move for a town running on three and a half cents.
Then water and sewer, where Weddington is not what most relocating buyers expect. Matthews is served by Charlotte Water, which covers the City of Charlotte and the Mecklenburg towns. Weddington has no municipal system at all. Its ordinance tells developers to connect to Union County water when lines run within half a mile of a subdivision of ten to 39 lots, or a mile for 40 or more. When the county has no capacity to issue permits, the town may allow individual domestic wells instead. Sewer is the bigger one: there is none, so septic is normal and the ordinance makes developers prove suitability lot by lot.
The practical difference is which questions you ask. In Matthews you ask what the water bill runs. In Weddington you ask where the drain field is, how old it is, when it was last pumped, and whether the house is on a well or county water. The second set belongs in your inspection budget.
One line tells you the scale of the two town governments. Weddington’s Town Hall is open from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Three mornings a week. That is what 3.5 cents per $100 buys.
Schools: two districts, not two rankings
Matthews and Weddington sit in two different school systems, so you are not comparing two schools inside one district but two districts with separate boundaries, calendars and assignment rules. Matthews addresses in Mecklenburg County are served by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Weddington is served by Union County Public Schools.
Here is how the schools carrying each town’s name read on GreatSchools, checked on 8 October 2026. In Matthews, Matthews Elementary is rated 9 out of 10 by GreatSchools, Crestdale Middle is rated 9 and David W Butler High is rated 6. On the Weddington side, Weddington Elementary is rated 10, Weddington Middle is rated 10 and Weddington High is rated 9.
Read those as what they are: one third party’s rating of six named schools, not a verdict on either district. Ratings move, boundaries move, and the only thing that decides a house’s assignment is the address. Check the address before you write an offer, not the town name on the mailbox, because a Matthews mailing address does not guarantee a Mecklenburg County assignment: the postal boundary and the county line are different lines. I keep a current breakdown in schools in Matthews NC.
If schools are the reason you’re moving, I’d start with the assignment rather than the ranking. Weddington’s median sale price was $1,170,000 over the three months to August 2026 against $497,500 in Matthews, and that difference shows up in the purchase price, not the tax rate. Before anyone raises a budget to land a particular assignment, I want to see where the attendance line runs against the specific address, because the line and the town limits are not the same boundary.
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Book a 15-minute call →How much longer is the drive from Weddington?
Nine minutes and 4.3 miles, with no traffic on the road. Matthews Town Hall to Trade and Tryon is 11.9 miles and 19 minutes at free flow. Weddington Town Hall to the same corner is 16.2 miles and 28 minutes (OSRM routing, 8 October 2026). Those are no-traffic floors, so read them as the gap between the towns rather than as your morning.
What the mileage misses is the shape of the drives. Matthews is suburban arterial most of the way. Weddington funnels onto two-lane roads first, which is where a free-flow number stops predicting a weekday morning.
If the office is a two-day-a-week trip rather than a five-day one, those nine minutes weigh a lot less. Two round trips a week and Weddington costs you about 36 extra minutes. Five round trips and it is an hour and a half.
Weddington NC vs Matthews NC: who each town suits
The numbers first.
| Measure | Matthews | Weddington |
|---|---|---|
| Combined county and town rate per $100 | 0.7722 | 0.4692 |
| Tax on a $500,000 home | $3,861 | $2,346 |
| Median sale price, three months to August 2026 | $497,500 | $1,170,000 |
| Rate applied to that median sale price | about $3,842 | about $5,490 |
| Median price per square foot | $230 | $302 |
| Certified population, July 2025 | 31,666 | 14,915 |
| Police | Town police department | Five contracted Sheriff’s officers |
| Sewer | Charlotte Water | No municipal sewer, septic is normal |
| School district | Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools | Union County Public Schools |
| Free-flow drive to Uptown | 11.9 miles, 19 minutes | 16.2 miles, 28 minutes |
Matthews suits you if you want to walk somewhere. That sounds soft until you price it. The town rate is 27.95 cents per $100 against Weddington’s 3.5, which is most of the gap between the two bills; the remaining 5.85 cents is the difference between the two counties rather than anything Matthews does. What you get back is a median entry point under half a million, on a smaller lot.
Weddington suits you if the land is the point and the budget can carry it. An acre, a long setback, a quiet road, and the three Weddington schools GreatSchools rates 10, 10 and 9. What you give up is a town that does things for you. The lower rate is not the saving. It is what a town that does less costs to run.
These two towns compete for the same buyer less often than the search results suggest. Their drives to Uptown are about nine minutes apart and their medians are about $672,500 apart. If you are torn, settle whether you want an acre or a sidewalk first, because nearly everything else follows from it. You can see how each sits in the wider area on our Matthews community page and our Weddington community page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Weddington NC vs Matthews NC
What are the property taxes in Matthews compared to Weddington?
For 2026 to 2027 you pay a combined county and town rate of 0.7722 per $100 of assessed value in Matthews: 49.27 cents to Mecklenburg County, 27.95 cents to the town. In Weddington you pay 0.4692: 43.42 cents to Union County, 3.5 cents to the town. On a $500,000 home that is $3,861 a year against $2,346, and Matthews adds a $25 vehicle fee.
How do home prices differ between Matthews and Weddington?
Over the three months to August 2026 the median sale price was $497,500 in Matthews, down 3.4 percent on the same period last year, and $1,170,000 in Weddington, up 14.1 percent (Redfin), a gap of about 135 percent. But the median price per square foot on Redfin’s current reading was $230 in Matthews against $302 in Weddington, only about 31 percent apart. Most of what you pay extra in Weddington buys house size and land.
What are the commute times from Matthews and Weddington to Uptown Charlotte?
Measured from each Town Hall to Trade and Tryon on 8 October 2026 with no traffic, Matthews is 11.9 miles and about 19 minutes and Weddington is 16.2 miles and about 28 minutes, a gap of 4.3 miles and roughly nine minutes. Treat both as floors, and note the Weddington route spends more of its distance on two-lane roads.
Which school zones rate higher, Matthews or Weddington?
They are two separate districts: Matthews is served by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Weddington by Union County Public Schools. Read on 8 October 2026, GreatSchools rates Matthews Elementary 9 out of 10, Crestdale Middle 9 and David W Butler High 6, and rates Weddington Elementary 10, Weddington Middle 10 and Weddington High 9. Ratings and boundaries both move, and only your address decides the assignment.
What amenities are there in Matthews versus Weddington?
Matthews has a walkable historic downtown with a street grid, sidewalks and storefronts, plus its own police department and Charlotte Water service. Weddington has one small commercial area that the town calls the Town Center, and only 27 of its roughly 11,000 acres are zoned commercial. If walking to shops matters to you, that is your whole answer.
How does daily life compare between Matthews and Weddington?
Matthews had 31,666 people as of July 2025 and runs its own services, so you get sidewalks, a downtown and a town police force on a smaller lot. Weddington had 14,915 across roughly 17 square miles, with lots starting near an acre, no municipal sewer and a Town Hall open three mornings a week. One town does more and charges 65 percent more per $100 for it. The other leaves the land alone.
Are homes in Matthews on city water and sewer, and what about Weddington?
Matthews sits inside the Charlotte Water service area, which covers the City of Charlotte and the Mecklenburg towns, so public water and sewer is normal there. Weddington has no municipal sewer, so expect septic, and your water comes from Union County where the lines reach. The ordinance makes developers connect to county water within half a mile for a subdivision of ten to 39 lots, or a mile for 40 or more, and allows individual wells when the county cannot issue permits.
What are the zoning rules and typical lot sizes in Matthews versus Weddington?
Weddington’s ordinance, amended through August 2025, sets minimum lot sizes of 40,000 square feet in R-40, 60,000 in R-60 and 80,000 in R-80. Forty thousand square feet is about nine tenths of an acre. A conservation option allows 18,000 square foot lots but requires an average of at least 20,000 across the subdivision. Matthews is a conventional town of smaller lots, sidewalks and a downtown, which is what your $230 per square foot is attached to there.
About the Author
I’m a licensed North Carolina and South Carolina broker and the team lead of The Longleaf Group at eXp Realty, which I co-lead with my wife Amanda. Before real estate, I joined VisualTour as President, led its rebrand to Paradym, and led the company to its acquisition by Constellation Software in 2020. I hold an MBA from the University of Tennessee with concentrations in Marketing and Innovation. The Longleaf Group is an eXp ICON Team and a RealTrends Verified Top Team by Volume for 2026, with 140+ five-star reviews.
I live in Weddington and sell on both sides of the Mecklenburg and Union county line every week, which is why this is one of the comparisons I get asked to run most. If you want the two bills run against the specific houses you’re looking at rather than a median, that is a fifteen minute conversation.