Population 2,403 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Gaston
Household size in Gaston
| Period | Gaston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.71 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.29 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.37 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.05 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.66 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Gaston is a place of small households, averaging 2.05 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.71, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Gaston
| Period | Gaston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.0 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.8 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 50.4 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 49.3 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +10.3 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 49.3, Gaston is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Gaston
| Period | Gaston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.8% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.3% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 21.0% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.0% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.8 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in six households in Gaston (16.0%), well above the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Gaston
Renters in Gaston
| Period | Gaston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.0% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.8% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.0% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.9% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −7.1 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Gaston own their homes; 28.9% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 60.0% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Gaston
| Period | Gaston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.8% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.6% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.4% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −12.4 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Gaston than nationally: 12.4%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. The picture is much the same across North Carolina.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Gaston
| Period | Gaston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1984 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Gaston are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1983, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in North Carolina as a whole, where the median home dates to 1990.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Gaston
| Period | Gaston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $486 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $583 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $814 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $780 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$294 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Gaston runs $780 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 36.9% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Gaston
Bachelor's degrees in Gaston
| Period | Gaston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.1% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.3% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.2 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Gaston: 11.3% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Gaston
| Period | Gaston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 61.5% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 66.2% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 68.6% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 82.0% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +20.5 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in six adults in Gaston never finished high school, well above the national share: only 82.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Gaston
| Period | Gaston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.0% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.4% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Gaston runs well above the national rate: 11.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Gaston compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaston | 2.05 | 49.3 | 16.0% | 28.9% | 12.4% | 1983 | $780 | 11.3% | 82.0% | 11.1% |
| Roanoke Rapids | 2.39 | 41.9 | 15.7% | 41.1% | 13.5% | 1974 | $890 | 21.8% | 87.4% | 7.5% |
| Barley | 2.20 | 51.3 | 3.4% | 21.6% | 35.9% | 1977 | $1,114 | 19.4% | 77.3% | 0.5% |
| Garysburg | 2.02 | 50.0 | 15.0% | 29.2% | 17.4% | 1979 | $812 | 16.3% | 84.0% | 9.1% |
| Skippers | 2.69 | 43.5 | 19.5% | 29.0% | 28.8% | 1983 | $1,031 | 17.8% | 78.4% | 1.6% |
| Rheasville | 2.27 | 36.6 | 23.3% | 45.6% | 18.7% | 1992 | $1,212 | 6.5% | 82.2% | 15.0% |
| Weldon | 2.48 | 37.9 | 33.5% | 47.9% | 16.9% | 1962 | $765 | 12.8% | 79.8% | 11.4% |
| Pleasant Hill | 1.94 | 45.2 | 26.4% | 15.8% | 18.0% | 1991 | $685 | 21.4% | 80.2% | 10.5% |
| Triplet | 2.31 | 49.8 | 7.4% | 15.3% | 30.2% | 1996 | $1,354 | 24.0% | 82.4% | 5.7% |
| Brink | 2.68 | 43.3 | 31.0% | 36.4% | 24.0% | 1979 | $916 | 13.7% | 69.9% | 10.7% |
| Dahlia | 2.21 | 50.6 | 3.5% | 22.6% | 35.8% | 1976 | $1,125 | 18.0% | 76.2% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Garden View, PA · Ashley, OH · Poland, OH · Mahnomen, MN · Lynne, FL · Linesville, PA · Lamoni, IA · Killbuck, OH · Hayfield, MN · Grandy, NC
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Gaston. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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