This section is generated from cached city metrics and clearly labeled state-level benchmarks. It is meant to make the Gastonia page less generic and more useful for comparing housing, income, utilities, taxes, insurance, demographics, and nearby alternatives.
Affordability Summary
Population is 81,632, so Gastonia should be compared with similar-size places before using broader North Carolina averages. Median household income is $60,554, so the best affordability read for Gastonia is income versus housing, taxes, utilities, and insurance together.
Median home value is $250,000, so ownership costs in Gastonia should be checked with mortgage, property tax, insurance, and maintenance assumptions. Two-bedroom rent is $1,145/mo, so renters can compare Gastonia against ownership costs and nearby rental markets.
Housing and Income Context
For Gastonia, income sits in the middle range, making recurring bills worth watching. Home values sit in a moderate range where taxes and utilities still change the monthly math.
Use the home value, rent, and income fields together before deciding whether Gastonia looks more favorable for renting, buying, or comparing with Ranlo, NC.
Utility Cost Context
The residential electricity benchmark is $0.160/kWh, so Gastonia households should treat usage, home size, heating, and cooling as the practical bill drivers. The electricity value shown for Gastonia is a North Carolina state-level EIA benchmark, so it should not be read as a local provider tariff.
For Gastonia, utility planning is stronger when the electric benchmark is paired with home age, square footage, insulation, HVAC equipment, and household occupancy.
Property Tax Context
Median property tax paid is $2,355, so Gastonia buyers should still verify parcel-specific tax records before budgeting. Parcel boundaries, exemptions, school districts, and reassessment rules can move the actual bill for a Gastonia address.
Compare the property tax field with home value rather than reading it by itself; a lower tax bill can still pair with a different assessment base or exemption profile.
Insurance and Risk Context
Insurance costs in Gastonia depend on address-level factors such as roof condition, structure age, coverage limits, claims history, deductible choice, and carrier underwriting.
Home value, tax burden, and insurance exposure should be reviewed together for Gastonia, especially when comparing with Ranlo, NC.
Population and Demographics
Median age is 37.2, so Gastonia may have different school, commute, healthcare, and housing demand patterns than a statewide average. Bachelor+ share is 27.7%, so Gastonia education context can be useful when reading labor-market and school sections.
Unemployment is 3.7%, so Gastonia wage and job-market context should be compared with commute options and regional employment centers.
