Gaston, SC

Census Place

2024 Population

1,803

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

40.4

10.4% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

18%

25.9% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$60,000

0.84% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$120,000

Population & Diversity

Gaston, SC is home to a population of 1.8k people, from which 92.7% are citizens.

As of 2024, 8.93% of Gaston, SC residents were born outside of the country (161 people).

In 2024, there were 8.03 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.25k people) in Gaston, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 155 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 122 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

92.7%

2024 Citizenship

90.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 92.7% of Gaston, SC residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Gaston, SC was 90.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Gaston, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Gaston, SC

White (Non-Hispanic)
1.25k ± 304
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
155 ± 145
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
122 ± 97

12.5%

Hispanic Population

226 people

12.5% of the people in Gaston, SC are hispanic (226 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Gaston, SC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for South Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
65,146 ± 6,228 people
India
21,511 ± 3,594 people
Colombia
15,785 ± 3,080 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 65,146 South Carolina residents, followed by India with 21,511 and Colombia with 15,785.

Foreign-Born Population

8.93%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

161 people

11%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

222 people

As of 2024, 8.93% of Gaston, SC residents (161 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Gaston, SC was 11%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Gaston, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (1990s)
51 ± 48
Vietnam
40 ± 29
Gulf War (2001-)
7 ± 23

Gaston, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (1990s), 1.27 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Gaston, SC.

Economy

The economy of Gaston, SC employs 929 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Gaston, SC were Construction (185 people), Manufacturing (134 people), and Retail Trade (126 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($155,455), Public Administration ($53,750), and Manufacturing ($50,000).

Employment

Occupations

929

2024 Value

± 191

−10.8%

1 Year decline

± 31.4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Gaston, SC declined at a rate of −10.8%, from 1.04k employees to 929 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Gaston, SC, are Production Occupations (126 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (115 people), and Management Occupations (110 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Gaston, SC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in South Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

929

2024 Value

± 191

−10.8%

1 Year decline

± 31.4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Gaston, SC declined at a rate of −10.8%, from 1.04k employees to 929 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Gaston, SC, are Construction (185 people), Manufacturing (134 people), and Retail Trade (126 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Gaston, SC, though some of these residents may live in Gaston, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$42,944

Median earning men ± $8,553

$36,823

Median earning women ± $4,992

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($50,850), Construction ($49,188), and Retail Trade ($42,500).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($51,250), Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($35,313), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($34,904).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Gaston, SC was $120,000 in 2024, which is 0.361 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $117,900 to $120,000, a 1.78% increase. The homeownership rate in Gaston, SC is 70.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Gaston, SC have an average commute time of 27.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Gaston, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$120,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$19,620

$570

Median Property Taxes

±$137

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Gaston, SC the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Gaston, SC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

70.7%

Homeownership

2024

67.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 70.7% of the housing units in Gaston, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 62.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Gaston, SC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$60,000

Median Household Income

± $17,234

806

Number of Households

± 164

In 2024, the median household income of the 806 households in Gaston, SC grew to $60,000 from the previous year's value of $59,500.

The following chart displays the households in Gaston, SC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Gaston, SC is from South Carolina.

0.462

2024 Wage GINI in South Carolina

0.464

2023 Wage GINI in South Carolina

In 2024, the income inequality in South Carolina was 0.462 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.296% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for South Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in South Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in South Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (78.1%)
Carpooled (9.96%)
Worked At Home (8.63%)

In 2024, 78.1% of workers in Gaston, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.96%) and those who worked at home (8.63%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

27.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Gaston, SC have a longer commute time (27.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0% of the workforce in Gaston, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Gaston, SC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Gaston, SC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Gaston, SC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

18% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Gaston, SC (324 out of 1.8k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Gaston, SC is White, followed by Hispanic and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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