Gaston County, NC
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 35.29, -81.18.
Assembled 2026-10-20. Read the brief.
- 69th pct · 937th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 63rd pct · 37th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $270,749
- 30th pct · 8th of 11 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro · median $380,437
- 19th pct · 2,471st of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 26th pct · 74th of 100 North Carolina counties · median +1.1%
- 60th pct · 5th of 11 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro · median -0.3%
- 60th pct · 536th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 57th pct · 27th of 62 North Carolina counties · median $1,550
- 12th pct · 8th of 9 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro · median $1,732
- 89th pct · 353rd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 88th pct · 12th of 100 North Carolina counties · median 16,739
- 70th pct · 4th of 11 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro · median 79,207
- 57th pct · 1,366th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 70th pct · 30th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $984
- 10th pct · 10th of 11 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro · median $1,230
- 69th pct · 931st of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 56th pct · 44th of 100 North Carolina counties · median 5.0
- 50th pct · 6th of 11 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro · median 5.3
Typical home value divided by the average annual wage of one covered job.
A percentile here is a min-max scaling of average rank: the smallest published value in the cohort is 0 and the largest is 100, and tied values share the average of the ranks they span. It is not the share of entities below the value, so 0 means smallest, not none below. Entities that did not publish the metric are outside the cohort entirely and are counted in neither the rank nor its denominator.
Home values #
Typical home $295,114 (Sep 2026), -0.2% over one year, +24.8% over five
- 69th pct · 937th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 63rd pct · 37th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $270,749
- 30th pct · 8th of 11 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro · median $380,437
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Gaston County, NC | $295,114 · -0.2% 1-yr |
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of homes in the 35th to 65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted; a model estimate of value, not a sale price. Data through Zillow Research.
Rents #
Typical rent $1,633/mo (Sep 2026), +2.2% over one year; price-to-rent 15.1
- 60th pct · 536th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 57th pct · 27th of 62 North Carolina counties · median $1,550
- 12th pct · 8th of 9 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro · median $1,732
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Gaston County, NC | $1,633/mo · +2.2% 1-yr |
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), smoothed, all homes and multifamily; price-to-rent = typical home / (typical rent × 12).
What the typical home costs to carry #
Principal and interest of $1,635 a month on $295,114 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,658 a month: 35.1% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $295,114 × 80% = $236,092, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $1,635/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,075 × 52 / 12 = $4,658) = 35% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $295,114 / ($1,075 × 52) = 5.3
- price-to-rent = $295,114 / ($1,633 × 12) = 15.1
The wage is one covered job’s average, not a household’s income, so this is the share of a single paycheque and not a mortgage underwriting ratio.
Estimate. Principal and interest on the typical home with 20% down over 30 years at this week's Freddie Mac average rate; compared with the average weekly wage of all jobs covered by unemployment insurance in the area (BLS QCEW), which is pay per job, not household income.
Jobs & wages #
81,571 jobs at 5,772 employers (2026 Q1); 0.0% jobs and +0.7% average weekly wage over the year
- 89th pct · 353rd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 88th pct · 12th of 100 North Carolina counties · median 16,739
- 70th pct · 4th of 11 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro · median 79,207
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Gaston County, NC | 81,571 jobs · $1,075/wk · 0.0% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 14,597 | $1,068 | 1.19 | +3.1% |
| Manufacturing | 12,859 | $1,271 | 1.96 | -11.1% |
| Retail trade | 10,252 | $716 | 1.29 | -0.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 8,053 | $434 | 1.10 | +1.9% |
| Administrative and waste services | 4,287 | $1,011 | 0.92 | +2.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 2,636 | $1,474 | 0.84 | -0.8% |
| Professional and technical services | 1,964 | $1,683 | 0.35 | +4.7% |
| Other services | 1,933 | $941 | 0.79 | -3.6% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,855 | $936 | 0.54 | +6.9% |
| Finance and insurance | 1,643 | $1,489 | 0.49 | +34.2% |
| Educational services | 1,453 | $803 | 0.83 | +12.8% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 956 | $395 | 0.71 | +11.7% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, all ownerships, total covered employment in the quarter's third month; over-the-year changes as published. Suppressed cells stay blank.
Drought #
D0 abnormally dry
Sites found: 5, searched within 0 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 0 km away are not.
US Drought Monitor current week; the highest class of any polygon containing the point.
Reservoirs #
10 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 10, searched within 150 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 150 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| NINETYNINE ISLAND RES. BELOW CHEROKEE FALLS, SC | 99.3 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 41 km |
| GASTON SHOALS RESERVOIR ABOVE BLACKSBURG, SC | 93.8 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 42 km |
| LAKE BLALOCK NEAR COWPENS, SC | 710.0 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 68 km |
| NEAL SHOALS RESERVOIR NEAR CARLISLE, SC | 331.9 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 74 km |
| LAKE WILLIAM C. BOWEN NEAR FINGERVILLE, SC | 815.1 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 81 km |
| W. KERR SCOTT RESERVOIR AT DAM NR WILKESBORO, NC | 30.3 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 94 km |
| MONTICELLO RES NR JENKINSVILLE, SC | 423.2 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 111 km |
| PARR SHOALS RESERVOIR AT PARR, SC | 262.4 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 116 km |
Σ(capacity × percent full) / Σ capacity over TWDB reservoirs within 150 km. Texas only; elsewhere USGS reservoir elevation/storage is listed without a capacity to normalise by.
Stream gauges #
146 gauges · 0 flooding · 6 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 37 stale
Sites found: 146, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| DUHARTS CREEK AT COX RD AT GASTONIA, NC | stage 0.65 ft | 5 km |
| LONG CREEK NEAR BESSEMER CITY, NC | flow 2.59 ft³/s · no flooding | 5 km |
| CATAWBA CREEK AT BOOGERTOWN, NC | stage 2.28 ft | 6 km |
| Catawba Creek (NC) at E Hudson Blvd 2 SW Gastonia | no flooding | 6 km |
| SOUTH FORK CATAWBA RIVER AT LOWELL, NC | flow 315.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 7 km |
| CROWDERS CREEK NEAR MOUNTAIN VIEW, NC | stage 0.81 ft | 8 km |
| DUHARTS CREEK AT SR 2439 NEAR CRAMERTON, NC | flow 1.81 ft³/s | 9 km |
| LONG CR TRIB BL HEADWATER NR BESSEMER CITY, NC | flow 0.08 ft³/s · STALE | 9 km |
| LONG CR TRIB AT HEADWATER NR BESSEMER CITY, NC | flow 0.00 ft³/s · STALE | 9 km |
| INDIAN CREEK NEAR LABORATORY, NC | flow 30.9 ft³/s · no flooding | 16 km |
USGS latest readings screened against EPA freshwater criteria (DO ≥ 5 mg/L, pH 6.5–9, conductance, turbidity, temperature); NWS flood categories where a NWPS gauge is co-located.
Groundwater #
22 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 22, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-352012081154301 | depth 48.5 ft · 2026-10-19 | 9 km |
| USGS-352012081154302 | depth 43.0 ft · 2026-10-19 | 9 km |
| USGS-350918081263408 | depth 73.5 ft · 2009-10-05 | 29 km |
| USGS-350927081270100 | depth 43.5 ft · 1997-09-08 | 29 km |
| USGS-350150081012500 | depth 19.0 ft · 2003-02-13 | 32 km |
| USGS-345830081033101 | depth 24.3 ft · 2026-10-19 | 37 km |
| USGS-345830081033100 | depth 26.9 ft · 2026-10-19 | 37 km |
| USGS-353135080524201 | depth 23.0 ft · 2026-10-19 | 37 km |
USGS latest daily water levels. A single latest reading says where the table is, not which way it is moving; select a well for its 365-day trace.
Water stress #
low (0.00)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.00 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$3.5 bn in deposits at 43 offices of 16 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,486, moderately concentrated. $1.5 bn federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $1.4 bn, grants $88.2 m), $18,479 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Truist Bank | $909.5 m · 26.0% share · 7 offices | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $761.4 m · 21.8% share · 5 offices | |
| SouthState Bank, National Association | $371.2 m · 10.6% share · 5 offices | |
| Gaston, NC | $1.5 bn FY2026 · $18,479/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $1.4 bn · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truist Bank | $909,528,000 | 26.0% | 7 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $761,391,000 | 21.8% | 5 |
| SouthState Bank, National Association | $371,156,000 | 10.6% | 5 |
| Bank of America, National Association | $335,554,000 | 9.6% | 3 |
| The Fidelity Bank | $220,499,000 | 6.3% | 3 |
| Bank OZK | $214,653,000 | 6.1% | 3 |
| First Horizon Bank | $138,485,000 | 4.0% | 3 |
| Belmont Savings Bank, SSB | $111,339,000 | 3.2% | 1 |
| United Bank | $110,631,000 | 3.2% | 1 |
| PNC Bank, National Association | $103,273,000 | 3.0% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,486 across 16 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 16 banks with deposits in the county = 26.0² + 21.8² + 10.6² + … (13 more) = 1,486
FDIC Summary of Deposits: deposits at every insured office as of June 30, annual; HHI is the sum of squared county deposit shares (DOJ 1995 bank merger screen: 1000 / 1800). USAspending: obligations by place of performance for the latest complete federal fiscal year (Oct 1 to Sep 30), what agencies committed, not what they paid out; recipients are legal entities. Per-job divides obligations by BLS QCEW covered employment.
Federal obligations #
USAspending place-of-performance obligations for FY2026, by awarding agency.
| Awarding agency | Obligations |
|---|---|
| Social Security Administration | $1,175,420,925 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $169,993,213 |
| Department of Transportation | $65,898,022 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $40,613,365 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $20,209,187 |
| Department of Education | $14,251,446 |
| Department of Agriculture | $11,023,077 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $2,387,353 |
| Environmental Protection Agency | $1,935,929 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $1,721,099 |
| Nuclear Regulatory Commission | $1,051,478 |
| Department of Justice | $938,696 |
That is $18,479 per covered job, against 81,571 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $1.5 bn / 81,571 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $18,479
USAspending obligations are recorded where the work is performed, so a prime award performed here is counted here even when the recipient is headquartered elsewhere. Recipients are legal entities, never people.
National context, not this county #
These are United States, single-gauge, single-state and port series. None of them is keyed to this county.
| Series | Latest | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River at Memphis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Mississippi River at St. Louis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Ohio River at Louisville, stage · ft | 17.95 | 2026-10-18 | -2.6% |
| Missouri River at St. Joseph, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Colorado River below Hoover Dam, flow (Hoover releases) · ft³/s | 5,170.00 | 2026-02-05 | -25.3% |
| Texas reservoirs, statewide percent full · % | 72.20 | 2026-10-19 | +0.0% |
| Laredo truck crossings, monthly · trucks | 258,700.00 | 2026-08-01 | -0.4% |
| Los Angeles + Long Beach container volume, annual · TEU | 10,513,167.00 | 2023-01-01 | -13.5% |
| Containerships waiting for a berth, all US ports · ships | 7.00 | 2026-10-13 | +133.3% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 7,848.00 | 2026-09-01 | +14.9% |
| US diesel retail price · $ per gallon | unavailable | not published | |
| WTI crude oil, spot · $ per barrel | 101.91 | 2026-10-14 | +1.0% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.40 | 2026-10-15 | +0.0% |
| Housing starts, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,275.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.6% |
| Building permits, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,403.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.1% |
| Case-Shiller US home price index · index, Jan 2000 = 100 | 337.31 | 2026-07-01 | +0.1% |
| Unemployment rate · % | 4.20 | 2026-09-01 | +2.4% |
| US goods and services trade balance, monthly · $ millions | -105,572.00 | 2026-08-01 | -13.7% |
| Retail sales excluding food services, monthly · $ millions | 652,115.00 | 2026-09-01 | +0.7% |
The indicator registry has no county-keyed series and no geographic selection: every entry is national, a named gauge, a single state or a port. They are here as the backdrop the county's own numbers move against, and they are never this county's readings.
What changed #
Gaston County, NC: 10 findings, 1 at a watch level and 9 noted
watchGaston County, NC's typical home value is -0.2% against a year earlier, a watch level here: typical home value below a year ago (arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- test: home.yoyPct = -0.22141952503708234 < 0
arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level
noteGaston County, NC's average weekly wage was 0.7% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +0.7 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteGaston County, NC's typical asking rent rose 0.3% from $1,628 in August 2026 to $1,633 in September 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- +0.3% = (1632.650160867939 - 1628.1596125816716) / 1628.1596125816716 × 100
- 1632.650160867939 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-09
- 1628.1596125816716 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
noteGaston County, NC's momentum index of 0.06 ranks 11th of 11 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro, against a median of 0.30.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 0 on the 0-to-100 scale across 11 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro that published momentum
- momentum = Σ wᵢ · clip(changeᵢ / scaleᵢ, −1, 1) / Σ wᵢ over the terms present; weights and scales: home value 1-yr change 0.3 (±10%), rent 1-yr change 0.15 (±10%), jobs over-the-year change 0.3 (±3%), avg weekly wage over-the-year change 0.25 (±6%)
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteGaston County, NC's price-to-rent ratio of 15.1 ranks 9th of 9 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro, against a median of 18.1.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 0 on the 0-to-100 scale across 9 counties in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro that published priceToRent
- typical home value / (typical rent × 12); Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
Read all 10 findings in the full brief
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.