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ACHIEVE > Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

Community Vision/Mission

The mission of the Worksite Wellness Policy Council of Mecklenburg County is to assist worksites in developing policies and environmental changes that will create a work environment where living a healthy lifestyle is simple and fun. Those changes will focus on healthy eating, physical activity, and tobacco use.

The vision of the Worksite Wellness Policy Council is to provide worksites in Mecklenburg County with tools and resources to create policy and environmental changes that help develop a culture of wellness in the workplace. Those changes will support and sustain healthy lifestyles for their employees not only in the workplace, but through all aspects of their life and positively impact the lives of those around them. The ultimate goal is to create work environments that support and encourage healthy living and that will reduce chronic diseases that can result from sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy eating, and tobacco use.

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Community Information

Mecklenburg County has a population of 867,067 people within 527 square miles. The population is expected to exceed one million by 2014. Charlotte is the nineteenth largest U.S. city, the largest city within Mecklenburg County, and the center of the nation's sixth largest urban region. Of the major distribution centers in the Southeast, Charlotte has 7.1 million people and Atlanta has 8.3 million people living within a 100-mile radius. The median household income is $55,890. Approximately 10.8 percent of people in the community have no high school diploma, and 10.7 percent are living in poverty. The leading cause of death in Mecklenburg County is cancer (for both men and women), followed by heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, unintentional injury, diabetes, kidney disease, influenza, pneumonia, and HIV. According to the 2008 State of the County Health Report, 13.1 percent of Mecklenburg County adults smoke, 60 percent are overweight/obese, 18 percent report no physical activity, and only 23 percent consume five servings or more of fruits and vegetables per day.

Charlotte serves as headquarters for many major national and international companies. During the past ten years, 7,309 new firms have invested $12 billion in new Charlotte facilities. Dun & Bradstreet lists 957 companies in their Million Dollar Database with facilities in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. In addition, 326 of the Fortune 500 companies have facilities here, seven of which are headquartered in Charlotte, ranking Charlotte seventh nationally in the number of headquartered firms. The total labor force in the Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord Combined Statistical Area numbers more than 1,170,295. Each day more than 130,468 workers commute to Mecklenburg from outlying counties. This commuting labor force has increased significantly over recent years. As traditional industries have reduced their labor needs, new industries have been able to tap this supply of labor. The median hourly wage is $15.67. More than 1.3 million people reside within a 25-mile radius of Charlotte. According to the North Carolina Employment Security Commission data released September 25, 2009, unemployment in Mecklenburg County is 11.3 percent, down from 11.7 percent, but still one of the highest rates in North Carolina.