Gastonia, NC

Census Place

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2024 Population
82,884
US Senator
Thom Tillis
Republican Party
US Senator
Ted Budd
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
36.5
1.88% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
16.3%
14.1% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$64,059
5.79% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$277,600
11% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
39,715
2.58% 1-year growth

About

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.

94.7% of the residents in Gastonia, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Gastonia, NC are Paul Mitchell the School-Gastonia (30 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Gastonia, NC was $277,600, and the homeownership rate was 54.2%.

Most people in Gastonia, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 26.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Gastonia, NC was 2 cars per household.

United StatesNorth CarolinaGaston County, NCCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCGaston County (Northwest)--Mount Holly City PUMA, NCGaston County (Southeast)--Gastonia & Belmont Cities PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Gastonia, NC is home to a population of 82.9k people, from which 94.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 8.53% of Gastonia, NC residents were born outside of the country (7.07k people).

In 2024, there were 1.76 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (42.3k people) in Gastonia, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 24k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 3.69k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

94.7%
2024 Citizenship
96.2%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 94.7% of Gastonia, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Gastonia, NC was 96.2%, 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.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Gastonia, NC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    42.3k ± 1.26k
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    24k ± 1.38k
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    3.69k ± 766
12.8%
Hispanic Population
10.6k people

In 2024, there were 1.76 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (42.3k people) in Gastonia, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 24k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 3.69k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

12.8% of the people in Gastonia, NC are hispanic (10.6k people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    224,963 ± 11,520 people
  2. India
    83,219 ± 7,055 people
  3. Honduras
    48,247 ± 5,380 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 224,963 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 83,219 and Honduras with 48,247.

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Foreign-Born Population

8.53%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
7.07k people
7.33%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
5.98k people

As of 2024, 8.53% of Gastonia, NC residents (7.07k 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 Gastonia, NC was 7.33%, 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.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    1,219 ± 196
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    999 ± 260
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    881 ± 260

Gastonia, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.22 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Gastonia, NC.

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Economy

The economy of Gastonia, NC employs 39.7k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Gastonia, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (5,780 people), Manufacturing (5,073 people), and Retail Trade (4,302 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($116,328), Utilities ($77,292), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($70,779).

Employment

Occupations

39.7k
2024 Value
± 1,655
2.58%
1 Year growth
± 5.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Gastonia, NC grew at a rate of 2.58%, from 38.7k employees to 39.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Gastonia, NC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,696 people), Management Occupations (4,288 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (3,623 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Gastonia, NC.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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

39.7k
2024 Value
± 1,655
2.58%
1 Year growth
± 5.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Gastonia, NC grew at a rate of 2.58%, from 38.7k employees to 39.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Gastonia, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (5,780 people), Manufacturing (5,073 people), and Retail Trade (4,302 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.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$47,801
Median earning men ± $2,141
$40,122
Median earning women ± $2,166

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($81,912), Information ($73,559), and Wholesale Trade ($62,917).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($61,700), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($56,902), and Wholesale Trade ($52,760).

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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.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Gastonia, NC awarded 30 degrees. The student population of Gastonia, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 6 male students and 248 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Gastonia, NC are White (17 and 56.7%), Black or African American (10 and 33.3%), Hispanic or Latino (1 and 3.33%), and Unknown (1 and 3.33%).

The largest universities in Gastonia, NC by number of degrees awarded are Paul Mitchell the School-Gastonia (30 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Gastonia, NC are General Cosmetology (30 and 100%) and Cosmetology, Barber, & Nail Instructor (0 and 0%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 254 students enrolled in Gastonia, NC, 2.36% men and 97.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 146 records, of which 95.9% were women and 4.11% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

General Cosmetology
Most Common
30 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Gastonia, NC was General Cosmetology with 30 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in Gastonia, NC according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Paul Mitchell the School-Gastonia
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
30 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Paul Mitchell the School-Gastonia with 30 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

In 2023, 1 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Gastonia, NC, which is 0.0345 times less than the 29 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 17 degrees mean that there were 1.7 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 10 degrees awarded.

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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.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Gastonia, NC was $277,600 in 2024, which is 0.834 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $250,000 to $277,600, a 11% increase. The homeownership rate in Gastonia, NC is 54.2%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Gastonia, NC have an average commute time of 26.8 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.

Housing

Property

$277,600
Median Property Value 2024
±$8,325
$17,555
Median Property Taxes
±$926

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 $3k+ range.

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

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Rent vs Own

54.2%
Homeownership
2024
63.9%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 54.2% of the housing units in Gastonia, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 54.2%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$64,059
Median Household Income
± $3,551
32.4k
Number of Households
± 1,523

In 2024, the median household income of the 32.4k households in Gastonia, NC grew to $64,059 from the previous year's value of $60,554.

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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Gastonia, NC is from North Carolina.
0.467
2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina
0.47
2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.467 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.639% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (77.1%)
  2. Worked At Home (12%)
  3. Carpooled (8.78%)

In 2024, 77.1% of workers in Gastonia, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12%) and those who carpooled to work (8.78%).

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.

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Commute Time

26.8 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Gastonia, NC have a longer commute time (26.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.91% 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.

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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.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

16.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Gastonia, NC (13.2k out of 81.1k 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 35 - 44.

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.

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Health

87.1% of the population of Gastonia, NC has health coverage, with 42% on employee plans, 21.6% on Medicaid, 10.6% on Medicare, 11.9% on non-group plans, and 1.02% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see 1,413 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1634 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 299 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.1% were men and 51.9% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26.1% under 18 years, 22.4% between 18 and 34 years, 37.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.1% were men and 51.9% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

12.9%
Uninsured
42%
Employer Coverage
21.6%
Medicaid
10.6%
Medicare
11.9%
Non-Group
1.02%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Gastonia, NC grew by 8.13% from 11.9% to 12.9%.

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.

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