Population 3,484 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Gaston
Household size in Gaston
| Period | Gaston | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.64 | 2.57 | 2.50 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.62 | 2.63 | 2.55 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.90 | 2.63 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.50 | 2.51 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.14 | −0.06 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Gaston run a little small, averaging 2.50 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. The Portland area as a whole looks much the same. Household size has dropped from 2.64 in 2006–10, 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 | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.6 | 37.3 | 39.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 47.8 | 38.3 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.5 | 39.3 | 40.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 48.7 | 41.0 | 41.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.0 | +3.7 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 48.7, 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 | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.9% | 10.5% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.4% | 10.3% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.6% | 9.4% | 9.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.8% | 9.5% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.1 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Gaston: 3.8% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.3% | 36.6% | 36.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.0% | 39.1% | 38.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.5% | 37.6% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 11.5% | 38.3% | 36.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −6.7 pts | +1.7 pts | +0.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 11.5% of households in Gaston rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Just over a third of owners (34.6%) have paid off their mortgages, below 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 | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.5% | 7.4% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 6.8% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.7% | 6.1% | 8.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.1% | 7.1% | 7.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Gaston than nationally: 8.1%, against 9.6% for the U.S. The picture is much the same across the Portland area.
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 | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1977 | 1976 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1978 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1980 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1969 | 1981 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | −3 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Gaston is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1969, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $804 | $961 | $870 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,071 | $1,105 | $982 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,153 | $1,374 | $1,183 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,599 | $1,794 | $1,601 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$794 | +$833 | +$731 | +$606 |
Rent in Gaston runs $1,599 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in the Portland area as a whole ($1,794). The typical renter here spends 21.2% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.5% | 33.3% | 29.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 27.1% | 34.5% | 30.2% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.3% | 39.2% | 33.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 33.9% | 42.6% | 36.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.5 pts | +9.3 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Gaston as nationally: 33.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in the Portland area as a whole (42.6%).
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 | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.3% | 90.0% | 88.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.1% | 90.6% | 89.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.4% | 91.9% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.4% | 93.2% | 91.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | +3.2 pts | +3.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Gaston: 94.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of the Portland area.
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 | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 8.6% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.6% | 9.6% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.1% | 4.7% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.0% | 4.6% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.8 pts | −4.0 pts | −3.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Gaston has been strong: just 3.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 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 | 2.50 | 48.7 | 3.8% | 11.5% | 8.1% | 1969 | $1,599 | 33.9% | 94.4% | 3.0% |
| Wapato | 2.83 | 44.3 | 5.4% | 9.3% | 8.4% | 1979 | $1,570 | 33.9% | 95.9% | 1.2% |
| Cove Orchard | 3.23 | 39.0 | 4.7% | 7.0% | 4.1% | 1977 | $1,471 | 41.8% | 92.8% | 1.6% |
| Laurelwood | 2.49 | 45.5 | 3.8% | 12.2% | 10.2% | 1969 | $1,962 | 41.4% | 94.8% | 3.5% |
| Forest Grove | 3.08 | 35.9 | 12.1% | 33.7% | 4.0% | 1984 | $1,437 | 31.9% | 89.4% | 4.4% |
| Yamhill | 2.80 | 43.3 | 7.1% | 13.0% | 6.2% | 1986 | $1,312 | 27.5% | 96.6% | 1.1% |
| Cornelius | 2.85 | 38.8 | 12.4% | 24.1% | 3.2% | 1986 | $1,693 | 21.7% | 79.8% | 4.7% |
| Mountaindale | 2.90 | 35.6 | 9.5% | 2.2% | 2.0% | 1998 | $1,659 | 32.2% | 89.6% | 1.4% |
| Laurel | 2.59 | 50.3 | 12.3% | 12.6% | 10.1% | 1978 | $2,202 | 41.6% | 93.8% | 4.2% |
| Glenwood | 2.84 | 48.1 | 2.6% | 11.5% | 3.2% | 1985 | $2,122 | 27.7% | 89.4% | 3.2% |
| Pike | 2.65 | 60.1 | 6.4% | 12.9% | 16.5% | 1988 | $1,653 | 25.4% | 99.2% | 0.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Angels, CA · Clintwood, VA · Double Springs, AL · Panorama Village, TX · McClure, PA · Westhampton Beach, NY · Warren, ME · Tornillo, TX · Southern Shops, SC · Rose Hill, 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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