This link sets Statesville apart as a seperate MSA from Hickory, Morganton and Lenoir (commonly referred to as the Unifour). And this link includes Lincolnton in Charlotte's MSA. Of the four sources I consulted each had different counties listed as part of the Charlotte Metro area.
<a href="http://eslmi12.esc.state.nc.us/oes/regions/regions_data/planning_region_f/divisions_planningregionf.html>This link</a> includes Iredell as part of the same planning region as Charlotte. Please note that these are all state of North Carolina links. (for some reason I can't make the html wokr for the last link-I've tried three times).
Neither the U.S. Census Bureau nor the Bureau of Labor Statistics nor the Bureau of Labor & Statistics nor the Bureau of Economic Analysis nor the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond nor the Department of Housing and Urban Development include Statesville in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area. In fact, they all do what all right-thinking people do: they totally ignore it. That's good enough for me...
Hmm.. It's just one Bureau or Labor & Statistics. Dunno what's up with that stutter! =)