| ZIP Codes: | 16 ZIP Codes (13 Standard, 3 PO Box, 0 Unique) [See All] |
| Area Codes: | 704 / 980 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (GMT -05:00) |
| Local Time: | 2:12:57 PM |
| Population: | 238,761 [See All] |
| FIPS: | 37071 |
| CBSA: | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC |
| Land Area: | 376 sq mi |
| Water Area: | 9 sq mi |
| Coordinates: | 35.2984, -81.1517 |
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238,761 residents live across 16 ZIPs covering 376 sq mi, served by 12 distinct USPS-recognized cities.
Population moved from 211,070 to 238,761 from 2014 to 2024 — a +13.1% change. 12 ZIPs gained residents, 2 lost.
The county's wealthiest ZIP 28056 (Gastonia, $90,427 median) and poorest ZIP 28052 (Gastonia, $49,643) are 5.8 miles apart — a 1.8× income gap across local geography.
Median home values vary 2.0× across this county — from $187,500 in 28052 (Gastonia) to $374,100 in 28012 (Belmont).
Density varies 10× across the county — from 229 people/sq mi in 28021 (Cherryville) to 2,195 in 28054 (Gastonia).
Educational attainment ranges from 14.9% bachelor's+ in 28016 (Bessemer City) to 46.4% in 28032 (Cramerton) — the breadth of educational profiles across the area.
Within North Carolina, this is the #9 most populous of 100 counties and ranks #43 for median household income with the #19 fastest decade growth .
Weighted by population, the typical household earns about $69,403 across the county — reflecting what a typical resident sees, not a simple ZIP average.
26.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher (44,732 of 167,117 reporting).
13 Standard delivery, 3 PO Box only, 0 single-entity Unique ZIPs serve this county.
| ZIP | City | Type | Population | Median Income | Area (sq mi) | 10-yr Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28054 | Gastonia | Standard | 41,707 | $61,035 | 19.0 | 16.8% |
| 28052 | Gastonia | Standard | 36,272 | $49,643 | 41.7 | 2.0% |
| 28056 | Gastonia | Standard | 36,200 | $90,427 | 48.5 | 10.8% |
| 28012 | Belmont | Standard | 26,556 | $83,391 | 31.1 | 29.8% |
| 28120 | Mount Holly | Standard | 25,805 | $78,231 | 31.3 | 27.8% |
| 28034 | Dallas | Standard | 18,979 | $62,083 | 46.5 | 5.2% |
| 28164 | Stanley | Standard | 16,874 | $79,728 | 41.9 | 21.9% |
| 28021 | Cherryville | Standard | 13,865 | $63,429 | 60.5 | 7.5% |
| 28016 | Bessemer City | Standard | 13,109 | $57,147 | 43.8 | 4.4% |
| 28098 | Lowell | Standard | 3,851 | $53,000 | 4.0 | 3.4% |
| 28032 | Cramerton | Standard | 2,869 | $60,924 | 2.4 | -9.9% |
| 28006 | Alexis | Standard | 1,518 | $51,932 | 4.7 | 29.2% |
| 28101 | Mc Adenville | Standard | 898 | $111,042 | 0.8 | 32.4% |
| 28077 | High Shoals | PO Box | 258 | $31,366 | 0.3 | -32.5% |
| 28053 | Gastonia | PO Box | — | — | 0.0 | — |
| 28055 | Gastonia | PO Box | — | — | 0.0 | — |