Gastonia, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Gastonia, 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.
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C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Gastonia | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 79,674 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1476.3 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.14% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.5 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 31,303 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Gastonia grew by 14.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 79,674 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Gastonia is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 21.3% of residents. That is 0.1 points below North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 16,234 20.4% -1.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 16,977 21.3% -0.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 16,371 20.5% on par
- Boomers 61–79 12,500 15.7% -1.3 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 52.6% of the people living in Gastonia and men 47.4%.
- Women 52.6% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 47.4% North Carolina 48.9%
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Economy
Gastonia has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Gastonia | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,933 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.23% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Gastonia is about 15% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Gastonia | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $255,227 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,180 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 53.9% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Gastonia is about 18.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,180 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Gastonia spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 189 hours, about 7.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Gastonia | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.7 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.4 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 189 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,869 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.2% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 17,804 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,188 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Gastonia is 23 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
Gastonia has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Gastonia | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.9% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.49 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Gastonia has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Gastonia | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.6 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.6% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.6% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Gastonia, North Carolina.
How many people live in Gastonia, North Carolina?
About 79,674 people live in Gastonia, North Carolina, in 31,303 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 38.5, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Gastonia, North Carolina mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Gastonia, North Carolina has 1,476 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 17 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Gastonia, North Carolina?
The median home costs 4.1 times the median household income ($255,227 against $61,933), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,180 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Gastonia, North Carolina?
22.9% of adults in Gastonia, 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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