Gaston County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Gaston County, NC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Gaston County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 234,809 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 646.1 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.30% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.9 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 93,545 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Gaston County grew by 16.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 234,809 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Gaston County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.3% of residents. That is 1.7 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 47,309 20.1% -1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 49,236 21.0% -0.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 52,336 22.3% +1.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 39,068 16.6% -0.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below North Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.5% of the people living in Gaston County and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 48.5% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Gaston County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Gaston County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Gaston County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,093 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.33% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Gaston County is about 7% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Gaston County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $208,491 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,152 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.9% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Gaston County is about 15.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,152 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Gaston County spend about 48 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 199 hours, about 8.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Gaston County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.8 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.7 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 199 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,156 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.4% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 12,274 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,966 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
North Carolina:
Macon County (17.2 min), Watauga County (17.2 min), Dare County (17.4 min).
Slowest:
Gates County (35.9 min), Currituck County (33.9 min), Tyrrell County (33.6 min).
The average commute time in Gaston County is 24 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in North Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Gaston County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Gaston County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.2% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.47 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.5), Wake County (0.4), Durham County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hyde County (0.2), Greene County (0.2), Tyrrell County (0.2).
Health
Gaston County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Gaston County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.0 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.6% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.4% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.8), Wake County (0.8), Watauga County (0.8).
Lowest:
Robeson County (0.8), Lenoir County (0.8), Halifax County (0.8).
Gaston County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Gaston County, NC is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 234,809 residents against a local median of 163,556. Gaston County, NC's median home price, at $208,491, runs 24% above the $168,547 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $232,014 on median home price, so Gaston County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Gaston County, NC has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaston County, NC | 234,809 | $67,093 #5/6 | $208,491 #3/6 | 23.8 min #5/6 |
| Lincoln County, NC | 92,729 | $78,296 | $165,739 | 27.9 min |
| York County, SC | 293,716 | $90,058 | $168,547 | 23.4 min |
| Mecklenburg County, NC | 1,154,528 | $87,854 | $336,691 | 23.0 min |
| Catawba County, NC | 163,556 | $67,947 | $224,804 | 18.9 min |
| Cleveland County, NC | 100,962 | $58,567 | $104,677 | 21.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Gaston County, North Carolina.
What is the population of Gaston County, North Carolina?
About 234,809 people live in Gaston County, North Carolina, in 93,545 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 37.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Gaston County, North Carolina mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Gaston County, North Carolina has 646 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 7.5 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Gaston County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 3.1 times the median household income ($208,491 against $67,093), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,152 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Gaston County, North Carolina?
23.2% of adults in Gaston County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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