Gastonia, NC

City in Gaston County, NC, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

82,884

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

36.5

years ∙ half population younger than 36.5, half older

Diversity Index

63.7%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

8.5%

foreign-born population

91.5%Native

8.5% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Gastonia is a city within Gaston County, North Carolina, United States.

Location

City in Gaston County, NC, US

Co-ordinates

DEC35.248796° N, 81.186436° W

DMS35° 14′ 55.67″ N, 81° 11′ 11.17″ W

Population Density & area

1,543/sq mi (595.4/km²)

Total Area

53.9 sq mi (139.8 km²)

Land Area

53.7 sq mi (139.2 km²) · 99.58%

Water Area

0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²) · 0.42%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

48.1% male

Male 48.1%

Female 51.9%

males per 100 females

Gastonia 92.6

Gaston County 93.8

North Carolina 95.6

Nativity

8.5%

foreign-born population

91.5%Native

8.5% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Gastonia 8.5%

Gaston County 6.4%

North Carolina 9.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

36.5

years ∙ half population younger than 36.5, half older

Gastonia

36.5

Gaston County

39.1

North Carolina

39.1

Dependency ratio

65.4

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Gastonia 65.4

Gaston County 63.8

North Carolina 63.8

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Gastonia	Gaston County	North Carolina
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	24.6%	22.4%	21.8%
Working age (18-64)	60.5%	61.1%	61%
Senior (65+)	14.9%	16.5%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	65.4	63.8	63.8
Child dependency ratio	40.8	36.7	35.6
Old-age dependency ratio	24.7	27	28.2

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

51%

Black

29%

Asian

1.3%

Hispanic

12.8%

Other

5.9%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

63.7%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Gastonia 63.7%

Gaston County 51.8%

North Carolina 58.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Gastonia population

Racial and ethnic composition — Gastonia vs Gaston County vs North Carolina. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Gastonia	Gaston County	North Carolina
Hispanic or Latino	12.8%	9.9%	11.3%
Mexican	3.8%	3.3%	5.6%
Puerto Rican	1.7%	1.6%	1.3%
Cuban	0%	0.2%	0.3%
Other Hispanic / Latino	7.3%	4.8%	4.1%
Not Hispanic or Latino	87.2%	90.1%	88.7%
One race	82.1%	85.9%	84.6%
White	51%	66.4%	60%
Black or African American	29%	17.1%	20%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.1%	0.8%
Asian	1.3%	1.6%	3.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.1%
Some Other Race	0.7%	0.6%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	5.1%	4.2%	4.1%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

63.2% family

Family 63.2%

Non family 36.8%

% family households

Gastonia 63.2%

Gaston County 65.6%

North Carolina 64.3%

Average household size

2.51

persons per household

Gastonia

2.51

Gaston County

2.48

North Carolina

2.44

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Gastonia population

	Gastonia	Gaston County	North Carolina
Total households	32,378	93,576	4,282,345
Average houshold size	2.51	2.48	2.44
Family households	20,465	61,422	2,753,022
Average family size	3.12	3.04	3.03
Married couple family	12,256	42,095	2,021,951
Other families	8,209	19,327	731,071
Male householder	2,344	5,281	195,051
Female householder	5,865	14,046	536,020
Non-family households	11,913	32,154	1,529,323
One-person households	9,327	26,460	1,258,822
Male householder	3,892	11,457	544,050
Senior (65+) living alone	950	3,828	160,332
Female householder	5,435	15,003	714,772
Senior (65+) living alone	2,450	7,531	342,051
Other living arrangements	2,586	5,694	270,501

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

35,337

housing units

Gastonia 35,337

Gaston County 101,671

North Carolina 4,895,668

Occupancy status

91.6% occupied

Occupied 91.6%

Vacant 8.4%

vacancy rate

Gastonia 8.4%

Gaston County 8%

North Carolina 12.5%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

71.4%

Single family houses

71.4%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

26.2%

Mobile homes

2.5%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1980

Half of houses were built before 1980, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

30.8%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

35.5%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

25.5%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Gastonia	Gaston County	North Carolina
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.3	5.5	5.6
1–3 rooms	12.9%	9.1%	11.4%
4–6 rooms	58.9%	61.6%	54.9%
7+ rooms	28.1%	29.5%	33.6%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.7%	1%	1.9%
1 bedroom	8.8%	5.9%	7.1%
2 bedrooms	29%	26.8%	23.8%
3 bedrooms	43.3%	49.7%	46.2%
4+ bedrooms	17.2%	16.6%	21%
At a glance
Median year built	1980	1983	1992
Total housing units	35,337	101,671	4,895,668

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

54.2% owners

Renter-occupied 45.8%

Owner-occupied 54.2%

homeownership rate

Gastonia 54.2%

Gaston County 66.8%

North Carolina 66.6%

Average household size

2.65

Owner-occupied

2.35

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Gastonia 2.65

Gaston County 2.54

North Carolina 2.54

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Gastonia	Gaston County	North Carolina
Total occupied units	32,378	93,576	4,282,345
Year moved in
2020 or later	28.5%	24.2%	26.2%
2010 to 2019	42.9%	39.1%	39.2%
2000 to 2009	14%	16.2%	16.2%
1999 or earlier	14.6%	20.5%	18.5%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	96.3%	97.4%	97.8%
1.01 to 1.50	2.6%	1.8%	1.5%
1.51 or more	1.1%	0.7%	0.7%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	7.9%	5.1%	5.3%
1 vehicle	34.1%	30.7%	31.4%
2 vehicles	36.9%	38.5%	38%
3 or more vehicles	21%	25.7%	25.2%
House heating fuel used
Gas	46.8%	40.4%	30.5%
Electricity	51.9%	57.3%	65.5%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.3%	0.6%	2%
All other fuels	0.1%	0.8%	1.3%
No fuel used	0.8%	0.7%	0.7%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.1%	0.4%	0.3%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.7%	0.7%	0.6%
No telephone service available	0.7%	0.7%	0.8%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$277,600

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Gastonia

$277,600

Gaston County

$266,000

North Carolina

$288,900

Housing Cost Burden

28.4%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

28.4%

Owners without a mortgage

12.2%

Renters

54.3%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Gastonia	Gaston County	North Carolina
Property value
Median Value	$277,600	$266,000	$288,900
Under $100,000	8.6%	11.1%	12.7%
$100,000 - $200,000	19.5%	21.3%	18.9%
$200,000 - $300,000	29.2%	27.3%	20.5%
$300,000 - $500,000	33.5%	29.2%	28.3%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	8.5%	9.4%	16.3%
$1,000,000 and more	0.9%	1.8%	3.3%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	67.8%	62.6%	61.3%
Without a mortgage	32.2%	37.4%	38.7%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,649	$1,493	$1,631
Without a mortgage	$546	$471	$490
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,204	$1,153	$1,228

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

26.6%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Gastonia 26.6%

Gaston County 26.5%

North Carolina 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

11.2%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Gastonia 11.2%

Gaston County 11.7%

North Carolina 9.9%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

19,142

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

7.3%

K–12

75.1%

College / Undergraduate

13.3%

Graduate / Professional

4.3%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

21.5%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Gastonia

21.5%

Gaston County

27.4%

North Carolina

39.3%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Gastonia	Gaston County	North Carolina
Total enrolled (age 3+)	19,142	51,593	2,530,102
Nursery / preschool	7.3%	5.7%	5.3%
K–12	75.1%	75.2%	67.4%
Kindergarten	5.5%	5.2%	4.9%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	24.4%	22.1%	20%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	25%	24.6%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	20.2%	23.4%	21.5%
College or graduate school	17.6%	19.1%	27.3%
College, undergraduate	13.3%	15.1%	21.7%
Graduate, professional school	4.3%	4%	5.6%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	21.5%	27.4%	39.3%
School type
Public school	85.9%	83.3%	82.3%
Private school	14.1%	16.7%	17.7%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

55,337

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

4.1%

9th-12th, no diploma

7.1%

HS graduate

28.9%

Some college no degree

22.1%

Associates degree

11.2%

Bachelors degree

17.8%

Graduate or professional degree

8.8%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

51.1% · 48.9%

9th-12th, no diploma

47.9% · 52.1%

HS graduate

52.3% · 47.7%

Some college no degree

39.6% · 60.4%

Associates degree

37.1% · 62.9%

Bachelors degree

49% · 51%

Graduate or professional degree

43% · 57%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Gastonia	Gaston County	North Carolina
Population (25+)	55,337	163,523	7,380,330
Less than 9th grade	4.1%	3.8%	3.9%
9th–12th, no diploma	7.1%	7.9%	6%
High school diploma or GED	28.9%	29.2%	24.8%
Some college, no degree	22.1%	20.9%	19.6%
Associate's degree	11.2%	11.7%	10.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	26.6%	26.5%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	17.8%	18.1%	22.2%
Graduate or professional	8.8%	8.4%	13.5%
High School or higher	88.7%	88.3%	90.1%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$45,757

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$30,201

HS graduate

$35,306

Some college or associates

$43,746

Bachelors degree

$60,516

Graduate or professional degree

$66,706

Poverty Rate

3.4%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

38.6%

HS graduate

17.2%

Some college or associates

12.4%

Bachelors degree or higher

3.4%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Gastonia	Gaston County	North Carolina
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$45,757	$48,189	$49,275
Less than high school graduate	$30,201	$30,121	$31,234
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$35,306	$40,694	$37,346
Some college or associate's degree	$43,746	$45,519	$43,525
Bachelor's degree	$60,516	$62,445	$64,395
Graduate or professional degree	$66,706	$75,009	$80,986
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	38.6%	28.6%	26.6%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	17.2%	15.2%	15.2%
Some college or associate's degree	12.4%	9.1%	10%
Bachelor's degree or higher	3.4%	4.4%	4.2%

Insights for Gastonia, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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