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I guess we can agree to disagree. There are many publications with different criteria on schools. No question Marvin is an excellent school, you could almost say it is a dead heat with a few of the schools listed. Having college kids I still put more merit in SAT scores as this is the critical element that decides what colleges you will get into. The links above list Providence HS as #1 in Charlotte area. If I ask 50 of my friends in Charlotte on best area school, no question Providence HS would come out on top.
I think the statistic being quoted had to do with Marvin's median income, which is significantly higher than the surrounding communities in the area. Many people who live in the desirable areas of the city do not have high incomes due to being very long time owners having bought their property many years ago, expensive McMansions plunked down among the bungalows of Dilworth by high earners are an advent of the past 5 years and hardly represent the whole city. Union has a lot of new expensive homes that would require a high income to afford. I'm not an expert on Union,
This really isn't reflected by reality. There is a huge amount of money in Charlotte and those with it do not choose to live in a tract development created in the middle of a former farmland in remote Union county. In regards to Dilworth, this is a historic community hence there are not expensive McMansions being built inside Dilworth. Changes to property have to go through the Charlotte historic commission.
I recommend that you take a boat out onto Lake Norman and look at the homes there. There are almost no waterfront tract homes in Mecklenburg county. It is possible to find them further out. We are talking about places where they tear down $2M homes to build $6M homes.
I don't doubt that Marvin might have a higher income than surrounding communities as we are talking about Union county. The vast majority of it is rural. However what was quoted was compared against NC and it simply isn't true. My reason for posting this counter to these notions is the OP is asking for a fair assessment of this area and what was said above, IMO misrepresents what is available in Charlotte or NC.
This is your opinion, how can you speak for 99.98%???
I have some empirical data to prove the opposite:
I recommend you read the comments of that article. It seems that most of what the author concluded, and it's the opinion, has been rebuked.
"Marvin's median income number is highly skewed because several members of the Kellogg's family live there, and they're all billionaires. Without those three households, Marvin would just be average. But of course that would have required some research."
And this is just one example as there seems there are all kinds of issues with the data he is using. The problem with presenting a web-link that reaches conclusions is you first have to determine the motives and credibility of the author. Keep in mind that I'm only using information from what you posted. You can't choose to only look at the part you like. This is why I don't argue with web-links.
As for the 99.98%, this is simply the estimated population in NC that chooses not to live there. I was actually being generous to Marvin by giving you the benefit of the doubt with 2x your population.
I guess we can agree to disagree. There are many publications with different criteria on schools. No question Marvin is an excellent school, you could almost say it is a dead heat with a few of the schools listed. Having college kids I still put more merit in SAT scores as this is the critical element that decides what colleges you will get into. The links above list Providence HS as #1 in Charlotte area. If I ask 50 of my friends in Charlotte on best area school, no question Providence HS would come out on top.
Agree...to partially disagree...
On the list which has Providence HS #1 overall, it also has MR as #1 in performance.
SAT scores are of course very important but it is very much student dependent.
The intangibles which are most important depends on how competitive and geared towards success is the school environment. At this critical stage in their life, I want my kids to be surrounded by others whose goal is a great university, who push themselves to be the best they can be.
As parents we can only do that much, school environment and group of friends does the rest, besides kid's drive to success, of course.
My biggest problem with city schools setup in an urban area is the proximity to malls & parks that attract undesirable elements who can influence your kid at a critical stage of development. Sure it is kid dependent, and many would say "what does not kill you makes you stronger", but I prefer to insulate my kids from that exposure while I can. With school geographically located away from "bad influence elements" it helps kids focus on what they need to, at this stage in their life.
If one would take votes from this forum, I have no doubt that older established high schools will always come on top since people either went there or know of them for many years.
However since we spent a lot of time on all kinds of statistical information and talking to parents of different high schools, our decision was to belong to MR.
I keep listing the info on how good MR is, not to say that other high schools are not equally great, but since we spent so much time analyzing school info, I am just trying to help other parents that are like minded.
Agree...to partially disagree...
On the list which has Providence HS #1 overall, it also has MR as #1 in performance.
SAT scores are of course very important but it is very much student dependent.
The intangibles which are most important depends on how competitive and geared towards success is the school environment. At this critical stage in their life, I want my kids to be surrounded by others whose goal is a great university, who push themselves to be the best they can be.
Indeed I agree with this as SAT scores are only one element considered. I will point out that Providence HS and Myers Park High HS are known by name at many universities. They are the top schools in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School system and thus, by that alone, have a prestige factor. CMS has had its issues but it is also a nationally known school system in part because several very important factors have surrounded it that affected all schools in the USA. Because they are within CMS they also have students from many demographics which many universities consider important due to the diversity and exposure it brings. Someone graduating with good scores from one of these schools can pretty much go to any university in the USA they like. This is an advantage they have over a students with equivalent scores from a suburban school system.
I would also say that aside from these and certain schools in Wake county, the best high school in the state for gifted students is the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. It's open to all residents of NC on a very competitive basis. It's also located in an urban locale.
Just want to mention that SAT scores are not a good indication, as the better the school, the higher the college bound population is, and it tends to water down the average. You really have to take in graduation rates and percentage of AP/IBS in combination.
When I researched schools when we were moving, I ruled out SC immediately.
We live in Marvin and like it. We feel that it is a very safe community. My particular neighborhood is most likely not what you are looking for as we all have a min. of 2 acres and no amenities and no HOA. This is our personal preference.
In your criteria I would look in:
Chimney's of Marvin
Marvin Creek
Hunter Oaks
Summerset
Cureton
Quellin
This really isn't reflected by reality. There is a huge amount of money in Charlotte and those with it do not choose to live in a tract development created in the middle of a former farmland in remote Union county. In regards to Dilworth, this is a historic community hence there are not expensive McMansions being built inside Dilworth. Changes to property have to go through the Charlotte historic commission.
I recommend that you take a boat out onto Lake Norman and look at the homes there. There are almost no waterfront tract homes in Mecklenburg county. It is possible to find them further out. We are talking about places where they tear down $2M homes to build $6M homes.
I don't doubt that Marvin might have a higher income than surrounding communities as we are talking about Union county. The vast majority of it is rural. However what was quoted was compared against NC and it simply isn't true. My reason for posting this counter to these notions is the OP is asking for a fair assessment of this area and what was said above, IMO misrepresents what is available in Charlotte or NC.
Facts are facts - yes? Just like you are calling out cherry picking specific parts of Union, you can't do the same for Meck. Union County (in all its rural splendor) has a substantially higher median income then Meck - as a county... Union has a substantially lower poverty rate then Meck - as a county... statistics that fly in the face of the points you're attempting to make.
Over the years of you posting here, I've never had the sense that you've stepped foot in Union since it was all cow pastures. Which is fine - but that should be a caveat you admit to when speaking for the entire state like you know the area intimately. Many of us can speak from practical experience. I lived in Mooresville for a year - have family down the Brawley peninsula and family in Cornelius. Much of the $MM dollar homes you refer to "at the lake" are in Iredell and around on the West side of the lake. The prime helicopter pad lake areas are not as expansive as you insinuate here and if you drive through Marvin you'd know know there's helicopter commuters there too. You'd also know there's more custom homes in Marvin then tract developments just looking around - in fact similar to what you'd see in Huntersville and Cornelius where vinyl is very popular. Lastly... the lake. You suggest getting in the boat and looking around - I'd suggest that they stay in the boat and not swim in it. Especially as you get further South down the lake where it's simply filthy and a drought season takes countless homes off the lake because their docks run out into mud.
I agree on the inside51 traditional South Charlotte area... I was just in South End for dinner and love the entire area myself. We take advantage of it all the time. Much easier ride from the cow pastures then the lake, dontchathink?
Facts are facts - yes? Just like you are calling out cherry picking specific parts of Union, you can't do the same for Meck. Union County (in all its rural splendor) has a substantially higher median income then Meck - as a county... Union has a substantially lower poverty rate then Meck - as a county... statistics that fly in the face of the points you're attempting to make.
The issue was brought up of specific schools, specific places with the highest income and homes in NC. I didn't pick this criteria, so I'm not sure why you are directing this towards me. If someone says that XYZ is the best place to live in NC and has the highest income, then the appropriate response IS to cherry pick examples that disprove it. This was done.
I personally don't care if people choose to live in Union county nor does average income of home prices in Union or Mecklenburg have any interest for me. These are fan boy statistics. My commentary was directed towards the OP who had yet to make this decision and wanted to hear all opinions.
We live in Marvin and like it. We feel that it is a very safe community. My particular neighborhood is most likely not what you are looking for as we all have a min. of 2 acres and no amenities and no HOA. This is our personal preference.
In your criteria I would look in:
Chimney's of Marvin
Marvin Creek
Hunter Oaks
Summerset
Cureton
Quellin
The last four neighborhoods aren't in Marvin I don't believe, but they are nearby. I have always felt that the community in this area is not by town lines but more by the general area. For Marvin, I'd include Weddington and Waxhaw when considering the sense of community because they all flow into one another. And I think it's really what you make it. If you want a community, get involved! You can do that with the schools, churches, moms groups (I made all my friends down here through Union County Mommies), etc. All my Marvin friends love living there.
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