CensusEasy
COUNTY · 2000 CENSUS

Gaston County

North Carolina · 190,365 residents · 356 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Charlotte metro area
Compare
The short version

With 190,365 people, Gaston County is a county in North Carolina. About 14% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $86,600, having risen by half since 1990. The population has held roughly steady since 1990. Households earn $39,482 at the median, near the US median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Mid-age
median age 36.2
US median: 35.2
Less educated
14% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
190,365
+9%since 1990
from 175,093 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
36.2
+8%since 1990
from 33.6 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
356 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
169K187K205K223K241K19902000201020202024Gaston County
2024235K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.7%(12,679)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 97.1%(13,504)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147%(13,309)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 196.2%(11,819)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 245.9%(11,263)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3415.2%(28,853)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4415.9%(30,243)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5414.2%(26,976)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 649.3%(17,734)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 747.1%(13,428)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 844.3%(8,094)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.3%(2,463)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$39,482
+7%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $28,126 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$19,225
+54%since 1990
from $12,447 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
10.9%
+0.3 ptssince 1990
from 10.6% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$86,600
+14%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $57,500 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$535
+13%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $360 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
68.8%
−0.5 ptssince 1990
from 69.3% in 1990
31.2% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic86.3%(151,081)
Black12.9%(22,502)
Hispanic / Latino0.5%(962)
Asian0.5%(813)
2000
White, non-Hispanic81.4%(154,922)
Black13.6%(25,843)
Hispanic / Latino3%(5,719)
Asian0.9%(1,802)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.3%(7,760)
Puerto Rican1.6%(3,686)
South American1.5%(3,630)
Colombian0.9%(2,220)
Guatemalan0.6%(1,473)
Honduran0.5%(1,236)
Salvadoran0.5%(1,230)
Dominican0.3%(741)
Nicaraguan0.3%(637)
Chilean0.2%(440)
Cuban0.2%(418)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.1%(307)
Venezuelan0.1%(259)
Ecuadorian0.1%(174)
Spaniard0.1%(173)
Costa Rican0.1%(129)
Peruvian0.1%(122)
Uruguayan0%(39)
Bolivian0%(31)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.4%(943)
Vietnamese0.4%(853)
Hmong0.2%(411)
Chinese0.2%(396)
Filipino0.1%(349)
Laotian0.1%(306)
Korean0.1%(203)
Uzbek0.1%(122)
Japanese0%(109)
Pakistani0%(80)
Kazakh0%(24)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(29)
Chamorro0%(11)
Tongan0%(3)
Ancestry
American14.5%(34,107)
English11.8%(27,727)
German10.1%(23,732)
Irish7.7%(18,151)
Scotch-Irish2.3%(5,395)
Italian2.3%(5,285)
Scottish2%(4,775)
French1.2%(2,895)
Polish1.1%(2,613)
West Indian0.7%(1,740)
Dutch0.6%(1,427)
+ 46 more ancestry groups with data
British0.4%(969)
Haitian0.3%(775)
Norwegian0.3%(696)
Welsh0.3%(622)
Greek0.2%(554)
Swedish0.2%(454)
Swiss0.2%(446)
Jamaican0.2%(404)
Russian0.2%(383)
Arab0.2%(353)
Hungarian0.2%(353)
Slovak0.1%(291)
Czech0.1%(281)
Armenian0.1%(215)
Nigerian0.1%(212)
Austrian0.1%(191)
Ukrainian0.1%(184)
Lithuanian0.1%(172)
Danish0.1%(168)
Portuguese0.1%(159)
Lebanese0.1%(136)
Ghanaian0.1%(127)
Romanian0%(112)
Barbadian0%(110)
Kenyan0%(94)
Egyptian0%(87)
Turkish0%(83)
Slovene0%(79)
Croatian0%(67)
Finnish0%(67)
Israeli0%(62)
Canadian0%(61)
Brazilian0%(49)
Syrian0%(43)
Belgian0%(35)
Guyanese0%(26)
Serbian0%(23)
Moroccan0%(22)
Iranian0%(18)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
14.2%
+3.3 ptssince 1990
from 10.8% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
71.4%
+10.5 ptssince 1990
from 60.9% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
3.8%
+0.9 ptssince 1990
from 2.9% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
16.0 min
−11%since 1990
from 18.0 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married23.5%(16,917)
Married64.6%(46,538)
Widowed2.6%(1,873)
Divorced9.4%(6,743)
Women 15+
Never married18.2%(14,394)
Married59.6%(47,108)
Widowed11.9%(9,435)
Divorced10.2%(8,049)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
10.7%
−6.9 ptssince 2013
from 17.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
52.7%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 53.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
12.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 12.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
18.7%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 19.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
21.4%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 20.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.4%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
63.3%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 64.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
37.5%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 36.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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%(2,933)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)23.9%(2,922)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36.4%(4,439)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.4%(411)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.1%(18)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 12,211 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
Drill deeper

Places similar to Gaston County

Lafayette Parish
Pop 257,949
Tuscaloosa County
Pop 241,368
Yavapai County
Pop 252,552
St. Joseph County
Pop 272,861
Places similar to Gaston County
Head to head

Compare Gaston County to nearby counties

GASTON COUNTY VS
Lincoln County
Income$80,016+103%
Home value$321,000+271%
Population98,654−60%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
GASTON COUNTY VS
Mecklenburg County
Income$87,005+120%
Home value$406,800+370%
Population1,233,383+400%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
GASTON COUNTY VS
Cleveland County
Income$58,534+48%
Home value$200,000+131%
Population103,325−58%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
GASTON COUNTY VS
York County
Income$89,095+126%
Home value$361,300+317%
Population306,887+24%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Gaston County, North Carolina?

Gaston County, North Carolina has about 190,365 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Gaston County, North Carolina?

The typical household in Gaston County, North Carolina earns about $39,482 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Gaston County, North Carolina expensive?

In Gaston County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $86,600, and the typical rent is about $535 a month.

How educated are people in Gaston County, North Carolina?

About 14.2% of adults age 25 and over in Gaston County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Gaston County, North Carolina?

About 10.9% of people in Gaston County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Gaston County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Gaston County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 15,272 residents, a change of about 9 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →