According to annual population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, the City of Gastonia and Gaston County both passed milestones in 2024. The City surpassed 85,000 residents for the first time, while Gaston County now tops 240,000.
The Census Bureau estimate for Gastonia places the population of the city at 85,535 as of July 1, 2024, which is an increase of more than 5,000 residents since the start of the decade.
Gaston County’s population also continues to climb, going from just shy of 228,000 at the 2020 Census to an estimated 242,010 as of last July. The County and City were growing at nearly identical rates between 2023 and 2024: 1.62% for the County and 1.54% for the City of Gastonia.
Gaston County remains in the top 12 of North Carolina counties population-wise, just behind New Hanover and just ahead of Onslow counties. Gastonia is the 13th largest city in the state, and the third largest city in the Charlotte Metropolitan area behind Charlotte and Concord.
The somewhat slowed growth from earlier in the decade matches what many cities and counties across the state experienced over the 12 months between July 2023 and July 2024. Of the 12 cities larger than Gastonia, only 1 (Charlotte) saw larger than 2 percent growth, and two of the cities (Asheville and Fayetteville) actually lost population.