How many people live in Gaston County, NC?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 242,000 people living in Gaston County, NC. That makes Gaston County the 12th-most populous county in North Carolina. It is home to 2.2% of people living in the state.
242K
population of Gaston County, NC (2024)
2.2%
County share of the North Carolina population (2024)
About 242,000 people lived in Gaston County, NC in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Gaston County, NC’s age demographics?
About 40,800 Gaston County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 16.9% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18% of North Carolina’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 53,600 Gaston County residents, or 22.1% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 21.6% of North Carolina’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Gaston County, NC's population is aged 45–64 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Gaston County, NC’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 65.1% of the Gaston County, NC population, higher than the national share of 57.5%. Gaston County, NC also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic Black or African American (19.2%) than the US overall (12.6%).
In contrast, Gaston County’s Hispanic population accounts for 11.1%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Asian population makes up 2% of the county, compared with 6.5% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Gaston County, NC has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than North Carolina as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Gaston County, NC is Gastonia with about 85,500 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Gaston County, NC ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Gastonia | 85,535 |
| 2. | Mount Holly | 18,723 |
| 3. | Belmont | 16,044 |
| 4. | Cherryville | 6,385 |
| 5. | Dallas | 6,270 |
| 6. | Bessemer City | 5,730 |
| 7. | Cramerton | 5,604 |
| 8. | Ranlo | 4,756 |
| 9. | Stanley | 4,147 |
| 10. | Lowell | 3,863 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
