Gastonia is home to 82,884 people in North Carolina. Owners hold 54% of the housing stock. 27% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. 16,607 more people live here than in 2000. There are 1,562 people per square mile. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $277,600.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $64,059, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 36.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
27% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 65%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Gastonia
What changed most since 1990
Median age34.0 → 36.5(+2.5 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
Median home value (2024 dollars)$142,324 → $277,600(+95%)US over the same years: +67%
White share73.8% → 51.0%(−22.8 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Gastonia's population equals 35% of Gaston County's. Its number of households without a car equals 53% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 47% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)24.9%(999)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)26.8%(1,075)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36.4%(1,461)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.8%(152)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 4,015 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Gastonia, decade by decade
Gastonia population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
54,732
$62,186
$142,324
16.0%
49.3
2000
66,277
$67,263
$167,774
20.2%
60.2
2010
71,741
$58,615
$188,021
22.7%
70.3
2020
80,411
$60,924
$197,441
25.6%
79.1
2024
82,884
$64,059
$277,600
26.6%
79.5
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
