City safety & data profile

GastoniaNC

Gastonia, NC is a 75K-resident city in Gaston County with a median household income of $64,059.

Gaston County, North Carolina. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Gastonia, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Gastonia has a population larger than 88% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $277,600, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

75K
Population
Top 12%
By size
$64,059
Median income
$277,600
Median home
16.3%
Poverty rate

The read on Gastonia

Gastonia posts a median household income higher than 28% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Gastonia area.

Top 72%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Gastonia

Where Gastonia income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$64,059 Bottom 28% higher than 28% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. NC $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Gastonia, NC beyond the headline numbers

Gastonia sits inside Gaston County, North Carolina, at roughly 35.26°N, -81.19°W. Population 74,543, $64,059 median household income. Median home value $277,600, median rent $1,204. Poverty rate 16.3%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Gastonia's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 38.7%, then high blood pressure at 38.7%. 1 hospital in/around Gastonia, 4/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Gastonia from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
74,543
Gastonia
Median Income
$64,059
-6% vs avg
Median Home Value
$277,600
+22% vs avg
Median Age
36.5
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Gaston County) - Gastonia's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
235K+13%
Median Income
$67,478+61%
Median Home Value
$266,000+115%
Poverty Rate
13.5%-25%
Unemployment
4.7%-66%

Economics

Economics indicators for Gastonia, NC
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,204/mo
Poverty Rate
16.3% +15% vs avg
Unemployment 5.7%
Bachelor's Degree+ 26.6%
Work From Home 12%
Public Transit 0.7%

Population

White 54.1%
African American 29.7%
Asian 1.3%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.1%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
38.7%
High Blood Pressure
38.7%
Obesity
37.8%
Physical Inactivity
27.3%
Frequent Mental Distress
17.6%
Current Smoking
15.6%
Binge Drinking
14.2%
Frequent Physical Distress
14%
Diabetes
13.5%
Lack of Health Insurance
12.5%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 59.2%
Annual Checkup 80.4%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
11.4%
Coronary Heart Disease
6.9%
Stroke
4.1%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
1
★★★
0
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
4/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
CAROMONT REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
GASTONIA · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Gastonia, NC? ▼
Gastonia, NC has a population of 74,543 people, located in Gaston County, North Carolina.
What is the median household income in Gastonia? ▼
The median household income in Gastonia, NC is $64,059 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 16.3%.
What is the median home value in Gastonia? ▼
The median home value in Gastonia, NC is $277,600. Median rent is $1,204/month.
What are the top health concerns in Gastonia? ▼
The top health indicators in Gastonia include Short Sleep Duration (38.7%), High Blood Pressure (38.7%), Obesity (37.8%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Gastonia? ▼
Gastonia has 1 hospital with an average rating of 4/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Gastonia? ▼
The median age in Gastonia, NC is 36.5 years. 26.6% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Gastonia, NC is located in Gaston County, North Carolina. With a population of 75K and a $64,059 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and high blood pressure. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 4/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Gastonia area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - North Carolina

Real-time AQI for every monitored North Carolina location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Belmont, NC 11K Kings Mountain, NC 11K Mount Holly, NC 14K Lincolnton, NC 11K Charlotte, NC 911K Shelby, NC 20K Fort Mill, SC 14K Rock Hill, SC 72K
All cities in North Carolina → Compare Gastonia vs Belmont → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Gastonia's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Gastonia area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Gastonia against North Carolina peers on any ranking lens. Explore North Carolina

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Gaston County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.