Cost of living in Gastonia research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Gastonia is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in North Carolina, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Gastonia is 95, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Gastonia is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Gastonia ranks as the #67 cheapest in North Carolina out of 157.
Gastonia ranks as the #1,954 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Gastonia is $275,183.
The median income in Gastonia is $60,554.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Gastonia has an overall cost of living index of 95, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to North Carolina, Gastonia has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than North Carolina's index of 92.
The standard of living in Gastonia ranks as #67 most affordable out of the 157 places we measured in North Carolina. By definition, that implies Gastonia ranks as the #90 most expensive place in the Tar Heel State.
For more reading on life in Gastonia, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Gastonia. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Gastonia is 104.
The Groceries index in Gastonia is 101.
The Health index in Gastonia is 112.
The Housing index in Gastonia is 88.
The Transportation index in Gastonia is 96.
The Utilities index in Gastonia is 91.
| Living Expense | Gastonia | North Carolina | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 95 | 92 | 100 | |
| Services | 104 | 100 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 101 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 112 | 106 | 100 | |
| Housing | 88 | 86 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 96 | 93 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 91 | 95 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in North Carolina, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Gastonia is $275,183.
The Median Rent in Gastonia is $1,145.
The Median Income in Gastonia is $60,554.
The Home Value To Income in Gastonia is 4.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Gastonia is 0.23x.
| Statistic | Gastonia | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $275,183 | $332,681 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,145 | $1,162 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $60,554 | $69,904 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 4.5x | 4.8x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Gastonia | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.27 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.55 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $21.67 | $18 |
| Haircut | $18.25 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $59.75 | $45.56 |
| Item | Gastonia | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.27 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.39 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.61 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.98 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $10.96 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.47 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.81 | $3.7 |
| Item | Gastonia | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $143.74 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $148.29 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $115.52 | $113.29 |
| Item | Gastonia | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.29 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $53.32 | $59.92 |
| Item | Gastonia | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $167.89 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $189.9 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Gastonia. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Mount Holly, NC has a cost of living index of 99, 1.0x Gastonia.
Lake Wylie, SC has a cost of living index of 118, 1.2x Gastonia.
Belmont, NC has a cost of living index of 107, 1.1x Gastonia.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Gastonia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Holly, NC | 17,928 | 99 | 1.0x |
| Lake Wylie, SC | 15,177 | 118 | 1.2x |
| Belmont, NC | 15,140 | 107 | 1.1x |
| Tega Cay, SC | 13,267 | 129 | 1.4x |
| Lincolnton, NC | 11,503 | 94 | 1.0x |
| Kings Mountain, NC | 11,472 | 90 | 0.9x |
| Pineville, NC | 10,780 | 108 | 1.1x |
| York, SC | 8,697 | 91 | 1.0x |
| Clover, SC | 7,013 | 97 | 1.0x |
| Cherryville, NC | 6,154 | 90 | 0.9x |