Gastonia, NC

Census Place

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2022 Population

80,615

1.42% 1-year growth

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2022 Median Age

37.8

0.526% 1-year decrease

2022 Poverty Rate

14.7%

2.57% 1-year increase

2022 Median Household Income

$58,047

9.54% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$219,700

22.9% 1-year growth

About

In 2022, Gastonia, NC had a population of 80.6k people with a median age of 37.8 and a median household income of $58,047. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Gastonia, NC grew from 79,483 to 80,615, a 1.42% increase and its median household income grew from $52,990 to $58,047, a 9.54% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Gastonia, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (53.8%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (29.7%), White (Hispanic) (4.42%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.08%), and Other (Hispanic) (3.13%).

None of the households in Gastonia, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.6% of the residents in Gastonia, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Gastonia, NC are Paul Mitchell the School-Gastonia (137 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2022, the median property value in Gastonia, NC was $219,700, and the homeownership rate was 55.8%.

Most people in Gastonia, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Gastonia, NC was 2 cars per household.

United States North Carolina Gaston County, NC Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Gaston County (Northwest)--Mount Holly City PUMA, NC Gaston County (Southeast)--Gastonia & Belmont Cities PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Gastonia, NC is home to a population of 80.6k people, from which 96.6% are citizens. As of 2022, 6.59% of Gastonia, NC residents were born outside of the country (5.31k people).

In 2022, there were 1.81 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (43.3k people) in Gastonia, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 23.9k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 3.56k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

96.6%

2022 Citizenship

96.9%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 96.6% of Gastonia, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Gastonia, NC was 96.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Gastonia, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
43.3k ± 1.26k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
23.9k ± 1.22k
White (Hispanic)
3.56k ± 762

10.4%

Hispanic Population

8.41k people

10.4% of the people in Gastonia, NC are hispanic (8.41k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Gastonia, NC as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

6.59%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

5.31k people

6.13%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

4.87k people

As of 2022, 6.59% of Gastonia, NC residents (5.31k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Gastonia, NC was 6.13%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,630 ± 279
Gulf War (1990s)
1,098 ± 288
Gulf War (2001-)
757 ± 221

Gastonia, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.48 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Gastonia, NC employs 38k people. The largest industries in Gastonia, NC are Manufacturing (5,505 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (5,311 people), and Retail Trade (4,819 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($77,857), Information ($67,733), and Finance & Insurance ($66,925).

Employment

Occupations

38k

2022 Value

± 1,554

−0.257%

1 Year decline

± 5.82%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Gastonia, NC declined at a rate of −0.257%, from 38.1k employees to 38k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Gastonia, NC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,129 people), Sales & Related Occupations (3,835 people), and Management Occupations (3,451 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Gastonia, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North 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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

38k

2022 Value

± 1,554

−0.257%

1 Year decline

± 5.82%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Gastonia, NC declined at a rate of −0.257%, from 38.1k employees to 38k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Gastonia, NC, are Manufacturing (5,505 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (5,311 people), and Retail Trade (4,819 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Gastonia, NC, though some of these residents may live in Gastonia, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,908

Median earning men ± $1,664

$33,876

Median earning women ± $1,319

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Information ($68,729), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($64,552), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($58,240).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Public Administration ($65,625), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,132), and Construction ($48,648).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in North Carolina went to Donald J. Trump with 49.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (48.6%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.881%).

Thom Tillis and Ted Budd are the senators currently representing the state of North Carolina. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

North Carolina is currently represented by 14 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Gastonia, NC. Showing the available data for North Carolina.

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (49.9%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (48.6%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (0.881%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in North Carolina went to Donald J. Trump with 49.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (48.6%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.881%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in North Carolina for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from North Carolina

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Thom Tillis

Senator from North Carolina

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Ted Budd

Senator from North Carolina

Assumed office on January 3, 2023

Thom Tillis and Ted Budd are the senators currently representing North Carolina.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in North Carolina over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from North Carolina

North Carolina is currently represented by 14 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for North Carolina have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Gastonia, NC awarded 137 degrees. The student population of Gastonia, NC in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 11 male students and 261 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Gastonia, NC are White (66 and 48.2%), followed by Black or African American (50 and 36.5%), Hispanic or Latino (13 and 9.49%), and Two or More Races (4 and 2.92%).

The largest universities in Gastonia, NC by number of degrees awarded are Paul Mitchell the School-Gastonia (137 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Gastonia, NC are General Cosmetology (136 and 99.3%) and Cosmetology, Barber, & Nail Instructor (1 and 0.73%).

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.944% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.805% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (2.16M), Some college (1.84M), and Bachelors Degree (1.63M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Gastonia, NC was $219,700 in 2022, which is 0.779 times smaller than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $178,800 to $219,700, a 22.9% increase. The homeownership rate in Gastonia, NC is 55.8%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Gastonia, NC have an average commute time of 25.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Gastonia, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Gastonia, NC is $58,047. In 2022, the place with the highest median household income in Gastonia, NC was Census Tract 333.03 with a value of $110,368, followed by Census Tract 326 and Census Tract 333.06, with respective values of $92,277 and $80,536.

Property

$219,700

Median Property Value 2022

±$7,937

$17,375

Median Property Taxes

±$891

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 Gastonia, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $2k - $3k range.

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

Rent vs Own

55.8%

Homeownership

2022

63.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 55.8% of the housing units in Gastonia, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 54%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 333.03
Census Tract 326
Census Tract 333.06

In 2022, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Gastonia, NC was Census Tract 333.03 with a value of $110,368, followed by Census Tract 326 and Census Tract 333.06, with respective values of $92,277 and $80,536.

The following map shows all of the places in Gastonia, NC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$58,047

Median Household Income

± $2,778

31.2k

Number of Households

± 1,412

In 2022, the median household income of the 31.2k households in Gastonia, NC grew to $58,047 from the previous year's value of $52,990.

The following chart displays the households in Gastonia, NC 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 Gastonia, NC is from North Carolina.

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2021 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2022, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.47 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0732% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2022

Drove Alone (80.3%)
Carpooled (9.76%)
Worked At Home (7.38%)

In 2022, 80.3% of workers in Gastonia, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.76%) and those who worked at home (7.38%).

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

25.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Gastonia, NC have a shorter commute time (25.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 1.48% of the workforce in Gastonia, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

14.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Gastonia, NC (11.6k out of 78.6k 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 Females 25 - 34, followed by Males < 5 and then Females 18 - 24.

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

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
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

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

Health

89.8% of the population of Gastonia, NC has health coverage, with 43.6% on employee plans, 23% on Medicaid, 11.3% on Medicare, 10.5% on non-group plans, and 1.48% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Gaston County, NC see 1784 patients per year on average, which represents a 2.47% increase from the previous year (1741 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1862 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 365 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Gaston County, NC.

1,784 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Gaston County, NC

Primary care physicians in Gaston County, NC see an average of 1,784 patients per year. This represents a 2.47% increase from the previous year (1,741 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Gaston County, NC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26.3% under 18 years, 21.2% between 18 and 34 years, 37.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.5% were men and 52.5% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

10.2%

Uninsured

43.6%

Employer Coverage

23%

Medicaid

11.3%

Medicare

10.5%

Non-Group

1.48%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Gastonia, NC declined by 2.35% from 10.5% to 10.2%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Gastonia, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Keep Exploring

North Carolina

State

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC