Population 108,181 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Gastonia
Household size in Gastonia
| Period | Gastonia | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.63 | 2.60 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.69 | 2.68 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.59 | 2.67 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.54 | 2.62 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.09 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Gastonia run a little small, averaging 2.54 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.63, as it has nationally. Households are largest in the west and smallest in the center.
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 Gastonia
| Period | Gastonia | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.5 | 36.7 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.8 | 37.8 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.2 | 38.6 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.0 | 38.8 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.4 | +2.0 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
At 39.0, the median age in Gastonia is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has crept up from 38.5 in 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Residents skew youngest in the north and oldest in the south.
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 Gastonia
| Period | Gastonia | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.1% | 12.3% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.8% | 12.7% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.2% | 11.5% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.1% | 11.3% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in Gastonia (17.1%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 1.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Only 21 of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Gastonia
Renters in Gastonia
| Period | Gastonia | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.5% | 30.9% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 39.1% | 33.4% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.9% | 34.3% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 41.0% | 34.1% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.5 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
About four in ten households in Gastonia rent their homes (41.0%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. Among owners, 39.5% have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 5.5 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only 31 have a higher share of renters.
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 Gastonia
| Period | Gastonia | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.0% | 10.4% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.2% | 10.0% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.1% | 8.6% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.6% | 8.3% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | −2.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Just as many homes sit empty in Gastonia as nationally: 9.6%. Vacancy is down 4.4 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Gastonia
| Period | Gastonia | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1986 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1987 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1989 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1994 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +8 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Gastonia are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. Homes here are older than in the Charlotte area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1994. The median year built has moved up from 1975 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the northwest.
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 Gastonia
| Period | Gastonia | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $711 | $875 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $793 | $966 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $898 | $1,127 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,218 | $1,552 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$507 | +$678 | +$528 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Gastonia costs $1,218 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $507 a month since 2006–10, up 71%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 30.1% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the southwest.
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 Gastonia
Bachelor's degrees in Gastonia
| Period | Gastonia | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.1% | 30.6% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.1% | 32.4% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.8% | 35.9% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.0% | 40.6% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +10.0 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Gastonia have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 24.0%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 3.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the northwest.
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 Gastonia
| Period | Gastonia | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.2% | 85.8% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.1% | 87.3% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.6% | 89.2% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.8% | 90.6% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.6 pts | +4.8 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Gastonia never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 9.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Gastonia
| Period | Gastonia | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.6% | 9.1% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.9% | 10.8% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.2% | 5.2% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 4.3% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.1 pts | −4.8 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.5%, unemployment in Gastonia is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in the wider Charlotte area (4.3%). Unemployment is down 7.1 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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).
Gastonia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gastonia | 2.54 | 39.0 | 17.1% | 41.0% | 9.6% | 1980 | $1,218 | 24.0% | 87.8% | 5.5% |
| Ranlo | 2.75 | 35.7 | 15.0% | 39.9% | 5.1% | 1991 | $1,507 | 20.8% | 91.2% | 6.7% |
| Lowell | 2.24 | 40.2 | 9.2% | 28.7% | 3.7% | 1984 | $1,539 | 24.0% | 89.4% | 1.8% |
| Cramerton | 2.35 | 40.9 | 8.7% | 31.6% | 7.4% | 1985 | $1,604 | 43.5% | 95.7% | 3.5% |
| McAdenville | 2.08 | 43.1 | 4.2% | 16.0% | 10.5% | 2001 | $1,301 | 43.7% | 95.0% | 0.9% |
| Dallas | 2.55 | 42.1 | 12.1% | 24.4% | 8.2% | 1993 | $919 | 19.1% | 86.8% | 2.2% |
| Belmont | 2.45 | 41.6 | 7.7% | 29.1% | 6.7% | 1995 | $1,778 | 49.7% | 92.6% | 3.7% |
| Springwood | 2.49 | 42.5 | 5.3% | 7.8% | 2.7% | 2005 | $1,705 | 46.9% | 96.8% | 1.5% |
| Mountain View | 2.55 | 39.7 | 20.2% | 40.5% | 6.5% | 1974 | $803 | 15.3% | 82.6% | 15.2% |
| Bessemer City | 2.59 | 41.6 | 14.1% | 27.2% | 11.9% | 1980 | $923 | 14.8% | 79.9% | 6.0% |
| Clover | 2.72 | 41.5 | 9.8% | 12.1% | 6.6% | 1999 | $1,235 | 31.4% | 92.1% | 3.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Oklahoma City, OK · Olympia, WA · Oshkosh, WI · Macon, GA · Maryville, TN · McKinney, TX · Lynchburg, VA · Madison, WI · Long Beach, CA · Marietta, GA
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 Gastonia. 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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