Rank #18 of 33
Charlotte, NC
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
9.4
Tacos per hour at the local median wage
$2.50
Avg taco price
$23.50
Median hourly wage (2024)
$3.00
Fast-casual taqueria
$1.99
Taco Bell crunchy taco
Charlotte sits above the national average. An hour of local work buys 9.4 tacos here, compared with 9.3 tacos per hour across the 33-city index (+0.1 vs national average).
Local note
Charlotte's taco scene has expanded rapidly with the metro's growth, anchored by Latin-corridor taquerias along Central Avenue and in Eastland. Prices remain among the most affordable of any major Southeast city, with $2 weekday street tacos still common.
Where the numbers come from
Fast-casual: Tacos El Nevado ($2 daily), Sabor Latin Street Grill, Three Amigos, Plato Pronto. Chain: Taco Bell crunchy taco $1.99 (national avg).
Average taco price ($2.50) is $0.27 below the national average of $2.77.
How this is calculated. Tacos per hour = median hourly wage ÷ average taco price.
Average taco price is the mean of the fast-casual taqueria anchor and the local Taco Bell crunchy taco price.
Wages come from BLS OEWS, May 2024, MSA-level median for all occupations.
Full methodology.