Gastonia, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28054
Gaston County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 36,270
- 700/sq mi
- $61,035
- Median income
- $245,100
- Median home value
- 22.0%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Gastonia pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.
- 31th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 44%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 700
- people per sq mi
- 47%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28054 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28054 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 51.8 square miles in Gastonia, Gaston County, North Carolina. The area is home to 36,270 residents, producing a population density of 700 people per square mile, and falls within the New York time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 28054 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28054 sits at $61,035 (12% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $33,995. The poverty rate stands at 15.3% and the unemployment rate at 5.5%. On housing, the median home value is $245,100 (6% below the state average) with median rent at $1,215 per month, and 46.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28054 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 22.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36.2, and the average commute is 25 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Gaston County, so you can benchmark 28054 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Top industries in ZIP 28054
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28054.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
280 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
156 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 109
Other services (except public administration)
109 establishments
- Accommodation and food services 100
Accommodation and food services
100 establishments
- Construction 77
Construction
77 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28054, Gastonia, NC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
36,270
Population
51.8
Area (sq mi)
700
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28054?
36.2
Median Age
46.7%
Male
53.3%
Female
7.3%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$61,035
Median Household Income
-12% vs state
$33,995
Per Capita Income
15.3%
Poverty Rate
5.5%
Unemployment Rate
24.8 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 28054 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$61,035 31st percentile higher than 31% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
18,564
Total Housing Units
17,379
Occupied Units
1,185
Vacant Units
2.35
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$245,100
Median Home Value
-6% vs state
$1,215
Median Rent
1979
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+6.4%
YoY Change (2024)
259
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+159%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 28054 have increased 6.4% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +159% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +5.0% | 161 |
| 2021 | +16.8% | 188 |
| 2022 | +21.8% | 229 |
| 2023 | +6.5% | 244 |
| 2024 | +6.4% | 259 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 1,113 business establishments in ZIP 28054, employing approximately 20,820 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,109,524,000.
1,113
Businesses
20,820
Employees
$1.1B
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 280 | 25.2% |
| Retail trade | 156 | 14.0% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 109 | 9.8% |
| Accommodation and food services | 100 | 9.0% |
| Construction | 77 | 6.9% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 63 | 5.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 60 | 5.4% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 57 | 5.1% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 48 | 4.3% |
| Manufacturing | 42 | 3.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 37 | 3.3% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 29 | 2.6% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 28 | 2.5% |
| Information | 11 | 1.0% |
| Educational services | 7 | 0.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 7 | 0.6% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 28054 vs 28098 →
ZIP 28054 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28054
Gastonia (28054)
36,270 residents
- 28052
Gastonia (28052)
34,932 residents
- 28056
Gastonia (28056)
31,418 residents
- 28012
Belmont (28012)
20,048 residents
- 28120
Mount Holly (28120)
19,807 residents
- 28034
Dallas (28034)
16,642 residents
- 28016 13,463
Bessemer City (28016)
13,463 residents
- 28098 3,579
Lowell (28098)
3,579 residents
- 28032 3,105
Cramerton (28032)
3,105 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28054 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28054 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28101
Mc Adenville (28101)
$111,042 median income
- 28056
Gastonia (28056)
$90,427 median income
- 28012
Belmont (28012)
$83,391 median income
- 28120
Mount Holly (28120)
$78,231 median income
- 28034
Dallas (28034)
$62,083 median income
- 28054
Gastonia (28054)
$61,035 median income
- 28032
Cramerton (28032)
$60,924 median income
- 28016
Bessemer City (28016)
$57,147 median income
- 28098
Lowell (28098)
$53,000 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28054 ranks #6 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28098 | Lowell, NC | 3,579 | 3.0 mi |
| 28056 | Gastonia, NC | 31,418 | 3.4 mi |
| 28101 | Mc Adenville, NC | 698 | 4.0 mi |
| 28032 | Cramerton, NC | 3,105 | 4.4 mi |
| 28034 | Dallas, NC | 16,642 | 6.5 mi |
| 28052 | Gastonia, NC | 34,932 | 5.4 mi |
| 28012 | Belmont, NC | 20,048 | 7.2 mi |
| 28120 | Mount Holly, NC | 19,807 | 8.5 mi |
| 28016 | Bessemer City, NC | 13,463 | 8.7 mi |
| 28077 | High Shoals, NC | 482 | 10.2 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Gaston County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
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How many businesses are in ZIP code 28054? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28054? ▼
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What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28054? ▼
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Gastonia, NC
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.