CensusEasy
COUNTY · 2010 ACS

Gaston County

North Carolina · 206,086 residents · 356 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Charlotte metro area
Compare
The short version

With 206,086 people, Gaston County is a county in North Carolina. About 18% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $120,800. The foreign-born share is 5%. Households take in $43,253 at the median, 18% less than the US figure. The population has held roughly steady since 2000.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Mid-age
median age 38.9
US median: 37.2
Less educated
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
206,086
+8%since 2000
from 190,365 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
38.9
+7%since 2000
from 36.2 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
356 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
169K187K205K223K241K19902000201020202024Gaston County
2024235K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 56.4%(13,187)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 96.5%(13,367)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 146.8%(14,095)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 196.8%(14,066)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 245.9%(12,135)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3412%(24,667)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4414.8%(30,573)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5415%(30,869)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6412.5%(25,833)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 747.4%(15,308)
US avg: 7%
75 to 844.3%(8,865)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over1.5%(3,121)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$43,253
−13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,482 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$22,305
+16%since 2000
from $19,225 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
24.2%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 23.5% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
16.6%
+5.8 ptssince 2000
from 10.9% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.452
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Retail trade18.8%
US avg: 10.9%
Information11.3%
US avg: 11.5%
Wholesale trade7.8%
US avg: 7.2%
Finance & insurance6.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services5.9%
US avg: 7%
Professional, scientific, technical4.4%
US avg: 4.2%
Public administration4.1%
US avg: 4.9%
Transportation & warehousing4%
US avg: 3.1%
Education & health services1.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
US avg: 2.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.4%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$120,800
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $86,600 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$678
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $535 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
67.5%
−1.4 ptssince 2000
from 68.8% in 2000
32.5% rent
Vacancy rate
11.6%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 11.6% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.59 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.58 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
26.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 26.0% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
44.8%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 43.2% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
2.8
+2%since 2009
from 2.7 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic81.4%(154,922)
Black13.6%(25,843)
Hispanic / Latino3%(5,719)
Asian0.9%(1,802)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic75.8%(156,310)
Black15%(31,002)
Hispanic / Latino5.9%(12,201)
Asian1.2%(2,462)
Other1.7%(3,499)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.3%(6,641)
South American0.7%(1,467)
Puerto Rican0.7%(1,361)
Colombian0.5%(952)
Costa Rican0.2%(501)
Cuban0.2%(359)
Dominican0.1%(282)
Chilean0.1%(247)
Honduran0.1%(200)
Salvadoran0.1%(174)
Ecuadorian0.1%(104)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ancestry
German13.4%(27,250)
American12%(24,321)
Irish9.9%(19,979)
English8.5%(17,178)
Scotch-Irish4.7%(9,583)
Scottish2.4%(4,871)
Dutch1.9%(3,850)
Italian1.8%(3,701)
French1.6%(3,337)
Polish0.8%(1,548)
Greek0.4%(810)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.4%(723)
Arab0.3%(650)
British0.3%(575)
Swedish0.3%(515)
Russian0.2%(441)
Norwegian0.2%(338)
Czech0.2%(324)
Swiss0.1%(303)
West Indian0.1%(277)
Finnish0.1%(233)
Hungarian0.1%(222)
Jordanian0.1%(205)
Slovak0.1%(188)
Portuguese0.1%(162)
Austrian0.1%(133)
Egyptian0.1%(124)
Canadian0.1%(122)
Bulgarian0.1%(109)
Danish0.1%(109)
Syrian0%(99)
Ethiopian0%(96)
Nigerian0%(87)
Armenian0%(82)
Ukrainian0%(78)
Lebanese0%(77)
Haitian0%(65)
Jamaican0%(52)
Romanian0%(47)
Slovene0%(47)
Croatian0%(45)
Belgian0%(42)
Somali0%(23)
Brazilian0%(14)
Moroccan0%(13)
Kenyan0%(13)
Barbadian0%(12)
Turkish0%(10)
Israeli0%(6)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
18.1%
+3.9 ptssince 2000
from 14.2% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
78.9%
+7.5 ptssince 2000
from 71.4% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
5.5%
+1.6 ptssince 2000
from 3.8% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.6 min
+54%since 2000
from 16.0 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
84.6%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 83.8% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
10.2%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 10.4% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
0.6%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
2.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.4% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
0.6%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
6.1%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
11.6%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
30.5%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 29.6% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.4% in 2009
Female
51.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.6% in 2009
Foreign born
4.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
10.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married34.4%(31,492)
Married51.5%(47,159)
Widowed3.3%(2,990)
Divorced10.8%(9,895)
Women 15+
Never married29.7%(29,751)
Married47.5%(47,576)
Widowed9.5%(9,531)
Divorced13.2%(13,246)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
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+85%
Home value$321,000+166%
Population98,654−60%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
GASTON COUNTY VS
Mecklenburg County
Income$87,005+101%
Home value$406,800+237%
Population1,233,383+400%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
GASTON COUNTY VS
Cleveland County
Income$58,534+35%
Home value$200,000+66%
Population103,325−58%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
GASTON COUNTY VS
York County
Income$89,095+106%
Home value$361,300+199%
Population306,887+24%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Gaston County, North Carolina?

Gaston County, North Carolina has about 206,086 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Gaston County, North Carolina earns about $43,253 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 $120,800, and the typical rent is about $678 a month.

How educated are people in Gaston County, North Carolina?

About 18.1% 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 16.6% 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 30,993 residents, a change of about 18 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 →