Money Magazine recognized Huntersville as the 76th Best Place to Live in America for 2005 and as one of the top 20 places in North Carolina to retire, both of which come on the heels of the town's identification as one of America’s Top-Rated Smaller Cities for 2004-2005 by Grey House Publishing.

History
Huntersville, the first Lake Norman town north of Charlotte, was renamed from Craighead to Huntersville in honor of landowner and cotton farmer Robert Boston Hunter. The town incorporated in 1873, and fertile land and a rail line promoted quick growth. Cotton mill Virgin Manufacturing Company and a brickyard that supplied bricks for many homes in older sections of town were thriving businesses.

Even before Huntersville was established as a municipality and named for one of its founding fathers, steam engines carried passengers on rails that still run parallel to N.C. 115. Farmers grew cotton on their large plantations and prominent schools attracted families from near and far. In later years, textile mills brought more jobs and residents to the area.

As the town grew larger, so too did its business community. The Virgin Manufacturing Company, a cotton mill, encouraged the development of Huntersville’s “mill town” on the east side of the railroad tracks.

It is the sense of Huntersville’s past that has brought so many new residents to this town. The allure of the remaining farmland, the simple commute into the city of Charlotte and the proximity to the relatively new Lake Norman are just some of Huntersville’s enticements.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 24,960 people, 9,171 households, and 6,859 families residing in the town. The population density was 309.4/km² (801.4/mi²). There were 9,859 housing units at an average density of 122.2/km² (316.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 88.42% White, 7.47% African American, 0.37% Native American, 1.50% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.06% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.88% of the population.

There were 9,171 households out of which 41.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.6% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the town the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 40.7% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $71,932, and the median income for a family was $80,821. Males had a median income of $53,553 versus $33,877 for females. The per capita income for the town was $30,256. 3.1% of the population and 1.9% of families were below the poverty line.

Economy
Many residents of Huntersville commute to nearby Charlotte for work. Charlotte has become a major U.S. financial center, and, based on assets, both the nation's second largest and fourth largest financial institutions call the city home (Bank of America and Wachovia, respectively). Bank of America' headquarters, along with other regional banking and financial services companies, are located primarily in the uptown financial district. Thanks in large part to the expansion of the city's banking industry, the Charlotte skyline has mushroomed in the past two decades and boasts the Bank of America Corporate Center, the tallest skyscraper between Philadelphia and Atlanta. The 60-story postmodern gothic tower, designed by renowned architect Cesar Pelli, stands 871 feet tall and was completed in 1992.

The following Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in the Charlotte metropolitan area:

• Bank of America
• Duke Energy
• Family Dollar
• Goodrich Corporation
• Lowe's
• Nucor
• Sonic Automotive
• SPX Corporation
• Wachovia

Other major companies headquartered in the Metro Charlotte include Time Warner Cable (a business unit of Fortune 500 company Time Warner), Continental Tire North America (formerly Continental/General Tire), Muzak, Belk, Harris Teeter, Meineke Car Care Centers, Lance, Inc, Bojangles', Carlisle Companies, LendingTree, Compass Group USA and Food Lion in suburban Salisbury. Also, neighboring Gastonia is home to Choice Beverage, Inc., makers of SunDrop and Cheerwine, and Parkdale Mills world headquarters.

Charlotte is also a major center in the US motorsports industry, with NASCAR having multiple offices in and around Charlotte. Approximately 75% of the industry's employees and drivers are based within two hours of downtown Charlotte. Charlotte is also the future home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, expected to be completed in 2009. The center city/uptown area of Charlotte has seen remarkable growth over the last decade. Numerous residential units continue to be built uptown, including over 20 skyscapers either under construction, recently completed, or in the planning stage. Many new restaurants, bars and clubs now operate in the uptown area.

Attractions
There are many attractions around Huntersville. The foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains begin along the western edge of the region and the descent (the fall line) to the coastal plain begins along the eastern edge. Amid this varied topography, the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens and several state parks (Morrow Mountain, Crowders Mountain, South Mountains, Duke Power, Landsford Canal, Andrew Jackson) offer recreational possibilities, along with the Uwharrie National Forest just east and northeast of Albemarle, and the Sumter National Forest at the southwest corner of the area. Kings Mountain National Military Park is partially located in York County and in Cherokee County near Blacksburg, South Carolina.

Attractions in Charlotte include the Afro-American Cultural Center, Discovery Place, Spirit Square, the soon to be built NASCAR Hall of Fame, the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Children's Theatre of Charlotte, The Mint Museums, the Charlotte Museum Of History, Levine Museum of the New South, and the Wing Haven Gardens.

Other places of interest in the Charlotte suburbs include the Schiele Museum (in Gastonia), Carowinds Theme Park (in Mecklenburg County, NC and York County, SC), Lowes Motor Speedway (in Concord), the Carolina Raptor Center (in Huntersville), Latta Plantation (in Huntersville), Historic Brattonsville (in McConnells), the North Carolina Transportation Museum (in Spencer), Fort Dobbs historical site (in Statesville), the Museum Of York County (in Rock Hill), James K. Polk historical site (in Pineville), the Catawba Cultural Center (in York County), the Museum Of The Waxhaws (in Waxhaw), Glencairn Gardens (in Rock Hill), and the Reed Gold Mine (in Locust).

The Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte is located in Charlotte in the University City community of Charlotte. The performing arts ampitheatre has hosted many popular music concerts. The U.S. National Whitewater Center, The U.S. National Whitewater Center (USNWC) is the world’s premier outdoor recreation and environmental education center. Alongside mountain-biking and running trails, a climbing center, and challenge course, the park’s unique feature is a multiple-channel, customized whitewater river for rafting and canoe/kayak enthusiasts of all abilities.

The USNWC is only 10 minutes from downtown Charlotte and provides over 300 acres of woodlands along the scenic Catawba River. Olympic-caliber athletes, weekend warriors and casual observers share this world-class sports and training center.

Inspired by the successful Penrith Whitewater Stadium built for the 2000 Olympics and the stadium built for the 2004 Athens Games, the USNWC is the world’s only multi-channel recirculating whitewater river. The USOC has designated the USNWC an official Olympic Training Site.

Regional-scale Shopping malls include SouthPark Mall, Northlake Mall, Eastland Mall (all in Charlotte), Carolina Place Mall (Pineville), Rock Hill Galleria (Rock Hill), Westfield Shoppingtown Eastridge (Gastonia), Concord Mills (Concord) and Valley Hills Mall (Hickory). Other important malls in the area include Carolina Mall (Concord), Gaston Mall (Gastonia), Monroe Mall (Monroe), and Signal Hill Mall (Statesville). Concord Mills is unique in that it does not feature the typical anchor stores found at the other mall; it focuses more on attracting outlet store tenants. As of 2006, the mall is the state's largest tourist attraction, visited by over 15 million annually.

Alongside enclosed malls and strip centers are several other shopping districts. Several downtowns can claim an abundance of shopping options, along with restaurants and other entertainment, and a few other specific districts have emerged: Central Avenue, especially in the Plaza-Midwood area; the NoDa area of North Charlotte; and the Arboretum in southeast Charlotte (geographically, south), to offer a handful of examples. Several of these areas are at the center of the area's growing immigrant business communities.

Education
Huntersville is part of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district. This includes 7 elementary/middle schools in Huntersville, which includes 1 private. There are 2 high schools (1 private), also. Huntersville does not house any colleges/universities, but there are 7 nearby.

Transportation
The nearest airport is the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. It is the 11th busiest airport in the world, as measured by traffic movements. It is served by many international and domestic airlines, and is the largest hub of US Airways. American Airlines, Air Canada, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United, AirTran Airways, JetBlue and Lufthansa are some of the major carriers that serve the airport. Nonstop flights are available to many destinations across the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America and Canada.