Map the Block › Places › North Carolina › Gastonia
What are the crime rate and median income in Gastonia, NC?
The violent-crime rate in Gastonia was 8.8 per 1,000 residents in 2025, about 2.7 times the statewide rate (3.3). Median household income is $64,059 and the median home value is $277,600. About 82,884 people live in Gastonia.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income by neighborhood · home values · schools
What is the crime rate in Gastonia?
The FBI's 2025 figures put Gastonia at 8.8 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (768 in all). That is about 2.7 times the North Carolina rate (3.3), and about 2.7 times the national rate (3.3). The department recorded 5 murders. Property crime came to 2,490 offenses (28.7 per 1,000; North Carolina: 17.8). Compared with 2021, when 716 were reported, the count is up 7%.
| Offense (2025) | Gastonia count | Per 1,000 | North Carolina per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 768 | 8.8 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
| Murder | 5 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.04 |
| Rape | 39 | 0.45 | 0.26 | 0.36 |
| Robbery | 80 | 0.92 | 0.41 | 0.49 |
| Aggravated assault | 644 | 7.4 | 2.6 | 2.4 |
| Property crime | 2,490 | 28.7 | 17.8 | 15.3 |
| Burglary | 393 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 1.9 |
| Larceny-theft | 1,840 | 21.2 | 12.7 | 11.4 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 257 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
How has crime in Gastonia changed since 2021?
| Year | Violent crimes | Property crimes | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 716 | 3,122 | 11 |
| 2022 | 649 | 3,260 | 8 |
| 2023 | 681 | 3,239 | 8 |
| 2024 | 727 | 3,009 | 4 |
| 2025 | 768 | 2,490 | 5 |
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. City figures are the Gastonia Police Department's own reports.
How does Gastonia compare with North Carolina?
Households in Gastonia have a median income of $64,059 (North Carolina: $72,388). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $277,600, and half of renters pay more than $1,204 a month. About 82,884 people live on 54 square miles of land, roughly 1,542 per square mile. The city lies in Gaston County.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Gastonia | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 82,884 | 10,730,404 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $64,059 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $277,600 | $288,900 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,204 | $1,228 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 5.7% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 16.3% | 13.0% | 12.5% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 26.6% | 35.7% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 54.2% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 36.5 | 39.1 | 38.9 |
What environmental sites and hazards are in Gastonia?
Gastonia has 5 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. None is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory; 5 are rated Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Robinwood Lake Dam (37 ft) and Shorts Lake Dam (31 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
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.
Is there road construction in Gastonia?
Gastonia city limits had 11 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (0 active that day). Where crews are working: 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 or near Gastonia?
Federal school lists place 19 public and 4 private schools within Gastonia. 6 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes are in the city. Within about 15 miles: National Park Service sites here: Kings Mountain National Military Park. 2 state parks or recreation areas: Crowders Mountain State Park and Kings Mountain State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Gastonia
Gun shops
9 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map inside the Gastonia city limits, plus 2 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 5 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), Gaston Pickers Auction (Gastonia), South Gastonia Gun & Pawn (Gastonia) and 1 more.
Liquor stores
One liquor store is on the map inside the Gastonia city limits: 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 inside the Gastonia city limits 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 Gastonia?
In 2025, Gastonia had 8.8 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (768 reported), about 2.7 times the North Carolina rate (3.3). The property-crime rate was 28.7 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Gastonia?
$64,059 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024), compared with $72,388 for North Carolina.
How much do homes cost in Gastonia?
The median value of owner-occupied homes is $277,600 (Census ACS 2020-2024), against $288,900 statewide.
What natural hazards affect Gastonia?
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).
Nearby cities
Charlotte, NC (20 mi) · Huntersville, NC (21 mi) · Rock Hill, SC (23 mi) · Mooresville, NC (31 mi) · Concord, NC (33 mi) · Kannapolis, NC (35 mi)
More: North Carolina statewide numbers · county page: Gaston County · Sex-offender registry search (NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, agency counts 2021-2025 (Return A); state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables, for the Census place Gastonia city.
- Land area: Census 2024 Gazetteer. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores (county level).
- 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).
- 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).
- 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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