Signals
Gastonia
Matthews
Opportunity
55 · Bottom 47%
vs76 · Top 13%
Climate
72 · Top 39%
vs76 · Top 26%
Physical resilience
66 · Top 42%
vs50 · Bottom 43%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 40%
vs84 · Top 44%
Schools
36 · Bottom 31%
vs68 · Top 30%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs95 · Top 36%
Economic stability
51 · Bottom 33%
vs74 · Top 19%
Measured values
| Metric | Gastonia | Matthews | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 82,884 | 30,577 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,059 | $108,611 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,174 | $53,265 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,542/sq mi | 1,787/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $277,600 | $445,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,204 | $1,764 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.2% | 64.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.6% | 55.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.3% | 3.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.3" | 37.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.2 min | 26.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.5 | 40.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 23 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.87 | 18.46 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 35.9% | 55.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 37.9% | 60.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 92.4% | 53.2% | 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.
Matthews
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Gastonia, NC · Matthews, NC · How this is calculated: methodology