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Gaston County, North Carolina: crime rate, income and local data
Gaston County averaged 4.3 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, 12% higher than the North Carolina rate (3.8). Households here have a median income of $67,478 and the unemployment rate was 3.7% in August 2026. Population: about 234,881 (Census, 2020-2024).
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Gaston County?
From 2021 through 2025, Gaston County averaged 1,018 reported violent crimes a year, along with 5,085 property crimes. Per 1,000 residents, the violent-crime rate works out to 4.3: 12% higher than the North Carolina rate (3.8), and 17% higher than the national rate (3.7). Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 21.6 per 1,000 residents, compared with 20.0 across North Carolina. Aggravated assaults make up 78% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 15 homicide deaths a year in the county (6.7 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Gaston County | Per 1,000 | North Carolina per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 1,018 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 19 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 69 | 0.29 | 0.29 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 131 | 0.56 | 0.51 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 799 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 5,085 | 21.6 | 20.0 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 911 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 3,595 | 15.3 | 14.2 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 579 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (11 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Gaston County?
The median household in Gaston County earns $67,478 a year, close to the North Carolina median ($72,388). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $266,000, and the median rent is $1,153 a month. 16.1% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 12.8%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.7% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 4,236 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Gaston County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 234,881 | 10,730,404 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $67,478 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $266,000 | $288,900 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,153 | $1,228 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 4.8% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 13.5% | 13.0% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 16.1% | 12.8% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 26.5% | 35.7% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 66.8% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 39.1 | 39.1 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 89.0% | 90.1% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 10.7% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Gaston County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Gaston County as “Relatively Moderate”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: tornadoes (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists 4 active Superfund sites (final or proposed) in Gaston County: Hemphill Road Tce, Jadco-Hughes Facility, Davis Park Road Tce and North Belmont Pce. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 22 high-hazard dams in Gaston County. 3 are rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 19 Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Mountain Island (140 ft) and Lithco Mine Tailings Dam F (70 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
27 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 153,219 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Gaston County was covered by 2 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Tropical Storm 1, Severe Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. Of 143 community water systems, 2 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 37 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 7 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Gaston County?
Gaston County had 11 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (0 active that day). Listed roads include I-85 and I-85 Northbound. 11 are on interstates. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Gaston County?
Gaston County has 61 public schools (2024-25) and 8 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 10 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 33 fire or EMS stations and 10 police or sheriff stations. 1 state park or recreation area: Crowders Mountain State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Gaston County
Gun shops
16 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Gaston County, plus 18 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 9 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Academy Sports & Outdoors #315 (Gastonia), Academy Sports + Outdoors #315 (Gastonia), Bill's Pawn & Gun (Gastonia), Bobbys Pawn Shop (Gastonia), Carolina Armory & Defense (Gastonia), Cash America Pawn (Gastonia), Doubletap Concealed Firearms & Training (Dallas), Gaston Pickers Auction (Gastonia) and 8 more.
Liquor stores
6 liquor stores are on the map in Gaston County: ABC, ABC Store (Mount Holly), Belmont ABC Store (Belmont), Bessemer City ABC Store (Bessemer City), Cramerton ABC (Belmont) and Gastonia Abc Store (Gastonia). North Carolina has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Gaston County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Gaston County?
Gaston County averaged 1,018 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 4.3 per 1,000 residents, 12% higher than the North Carolina rate (3.8). The property-crime rate was 21.6 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Gaston County?
$67,478 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $72,388 for North Carolina and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Gaston County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.7% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 4,236 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Gaston County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Gaston County as “Relatively Moderate”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: tornadoes (Relatively High).
Are there Superfund sites in Gaston County?
EPA lists 4 active Superfund sites (final or proposed) in Gaston County: Hemphill Road Tce, Jadco-Hughes Facility, Davis Park Road Tce and North Belmont Pce.
Is there road construction in Gaston County right now?
Gaston County had 11 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (0 active that day). Listed roads include I-85 and I-85 Northbound. 11 are on interstates.
How many nursing homes are in Gaston County?
10 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Gaston County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland County | 100,991 | 4.5 | $58,534 |
| Lincoln County | 92,716 | 1.6 | $80,016 |
| Mecklenburg County | 1,154,681 | 6.2 | $87,005 |
| York County, SC | 293,673 | 2.8 | $89,095 |
Cities in Gaston County with their own page: Gastonia.
More: North Carolina statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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