Signals
Gastonia
High Point
Opportunity
55 · Bottom 47%
vs47 · Bottom 32%
Climate
72 · Top 39%
vs77 · Top 23%
Physical resilience
66 · Top 42%
vs62 · Top 47%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 40%
vs86 · Top 40%
Schools
36 · Bottom 31%
vs37 · Bottom 32%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
51 · Bottom 33%
vs49 · Bottom 31%
Measured values
| Metric | Gastonia | High Point | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 82,884 | 116,245 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,059 | $64,561 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,174 | $35,661 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,542/sq mi | 2,024/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $277,600 | $235,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,204 | $1,116 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.2% | 57.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | -1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.6% | 34.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.3% | 15.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 91°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.3" | 44.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.2 min | 22.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.5 | 37.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 23 | 33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.87 | 15.52 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 35.9% | 32.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 37.9% | 40.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 92.4% | 99.3% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Gastonia
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm.
High Point
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Your best match
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Gastonia
65
Your Score
—
Area Score
High Point
64
Your Score
61
Area Score
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Full profiles: Gastonia, NC · High Point, NC · How this is calculated: methodology