Gaston County Demographics

A map of Gaston County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	155,945	153,653	66.4%	67.4%
Black	40,152	39,762	17.1%	17.4%
Hispanic	23,213	20,068	9.9%	8.8%
Multiracial	9,779	9,295	4.2%	4.1%
Asian	3,868	3,509	1.6%	1.5%
Native American/Other	1,924	1,656	0.8%	0.7%

Gaston County, North Carolina has an estimated population of 234,881, an increase from the 227,943 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 66.4% White, 17.1% Black, 9.9% Hispanic, 4.2% Multiracial, 1.6% Asian, and 0.8% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Gaston County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Gaston has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than North Carolina overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Gaston County, that probability was 50.5% in 2020 and 51.8% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Gaston County is ranked the 11th most populous county in North Carolina, out of 100 counties. Gaston County was ranked the 9th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Gaston County's White Population

155,945 residents of Gaston County, or 66.4% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Gaston County is higher than in North Carolina overall, where 60% of the population is White. Gaston County ranks 49th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Gaston County's White population has grown by an estimated 1.5%. White residents' share of Gaston County's population has decreased from 67.4% to 66.4%.

Gaston County is more White than neighboring York County (66.3% White), and Mecklenburg County (43.2% White). Gaston County is less White than neighboring Lincoln County (82% White), Catawba County (71.9% White), and Cleveland County (70.6% White).

Gaston County's Black Population

40,152 residents of Gaston County, or 17.1% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Gaston County is slightly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 20% of the population is Black. Gaston County ranks 49th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Gaston County's Black population has remained roughly the same. Black residents' share of Gaston County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 17.1%.

Gaston County is more Black than neighboring Lincoln County (5.9% Black), and Catawba County (7.7% Black). Gaston County is less Black than neighboring York County (18.2% Black), Mecklenburg County (29.7% Black), and Cleveland County (17.9% Black).

Gaston County's Asian Population

3,868 residents of Gaston County, or 1.6% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Gaston County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 3.3% of the population is Asian. Gaston County ranks 20th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Gaston County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 10.2%. Asian residents' share of Gaston County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.6%.

Gaston County is more Asian than neighboring Lincoln County (0.8% Asian), and Cleveland County (0.9% Asian). Gaston County is less Asian than neighboring York County (3% Asian), Mecklenburg County (6.3% Asian), and Catawba County (4.3% Asian).

Gaston County's Hispanic Population

23,213 residents of Gaston County, or 9.9% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Gaston County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 11.3% of the population is Hispanic. Gaston County ranks 34th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Gaston County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 15.7%. Hispanic residents' share of Gaston County's population has increased from 8.8% to 9.9%.

Gaston County is more Hispanic than neighboring Lincoln County (8.1% Hispanic), York County (7.4% Hispanic), and Cleveland County (4.7% Hispanic). Gaston County is less Hispanic than neighboring Mecklenburg County (16% Hispanic), and Catawba County (11.5% Hispanic).

Gaston County's Native American/Other Population

1,924 residents of Gaston County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Gaston County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 1.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Gaston County ranks 53rd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Gaston County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 16.2%. Native American/Other residents' share of Gaston County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Gaston County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Lincoln County (0.4% Native American/Other), Mecklenburg County (0.7% Native American/Other), Catawba County (0.5% Native American/Other), and Cleveland County (0.5% Native American/Other). Gaston County is less Native American/Other than neighboring York County (1% Native American/Other).

Gaston County's Multiracial Population

9,779 residents of Gaston County, or 4.2% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Gaston County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 4.1% of the population is Multiracial. Gaston County ranks 20th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Gaston County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 5.2%. Multiracial residents' share of Gaston County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.2%.

Gaston County is more Multiracial than neighboring Lincoln County (2.9% Multiracial), York County (4.1% Multiracial), and Mecklenburg County (4.1% Multiracial). Gaston County is less Multiracial than neighboring Catawba County (4.3% Multiracial), and Cleveland County (5.3% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.