Gaston, North Carolina

Geography Gaston is located at 36°29'46" North, 77°38'38" West (36.496013, -77.643881)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.7 km² (1.8 mi²). 4.4 km² (1.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 7.65% water.

Demographics As of the census of 2000, there are 973 people, 429 households, and 296 families residing in the town. The population density is 222.3/km² (575.5/mi²). There are 479 housing units at an average density of 109.4/km² (283.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 66.39% White, 31.76% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 1.23% from two or more races. 1.03% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 429 households out of which 27.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% are married couples living together, 22.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% are non-families. 27.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.27 and the average family size is 2.73.

In the town the population is spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 82.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 80.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $23,824, and the median income for a family is $29,375. Males have a median income of $27,500 versus $18,819 for females. The per capita income for the town is $14,247. 21.1% of the population and 18.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 35.5% are under the age of 18 and 18.4% are 65 or older.