Gaston County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Gaston County has a population of 234,881 residents and a median age of 39.1 years, making it the #301 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.5%. The median home value is $266,000, and the median household income is $67,478, which is 10% below the national median.
Demographics
Gaston County has a population of 234,881, making it the #301 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.1 years, which is 0.5% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Gaston County is $67,478, ranking #1,385 out of 3,222 counties — 10.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.5% and unemployment stands at 4.7%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Gaston County is $266,000 (-5.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,153/mo and the homeownership rate is 66.8%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Gaston County, 26.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 21.4% below the national average, ranking #1,059 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Gaston County is 73.0 years. 18.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
16.8% of adults in Gaston County smoke , 36.5% are obese , and 20.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 39.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Gaston County is 6.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 17.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 15.7 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
18.5% of children in Gaston County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 21.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Gaston County is 69.6%. The mean commute time is 29.9 min, which is 8.3% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Gaston County voted Republican with a margin of 25.1%. The vote was 37% Dem / 62.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +2.6 toward Democrats .
Vote Share Over Time
About Gaston County, North Carolina
Gaston County, North Carolina has a total population of 234,881, making it the 301st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Gaston County is 39.1 years, which is 0.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Gaston County is $67,478, which ranks #1,385 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 10.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.7%.
The median home value in Gaston County is $266,000, 5.6% below the national median. Renters in Gaston County pay a median gross rent of $1,153 per month. The homeownership rate is 66.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Gaston County, 26.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 21.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 29.9 min.
Gaston County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 66.4% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (17.1%) and Hispanic or Latino (9.9%).
All data for Gaston County, North Carolina comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.