Gastonia is considered one of the area’s best places to live and work, boasting a pleasant combination of location, size and quality of life. Gastonia is the second-largest satellite city of the Charlotte area, enjoying a convenient proximity to the city.

Real Estate

Gastonia real estate is diverse and varied, as you will find a pleasant mixture of old and new properties along tree-lined streets. Gastonia’s York Chester Historic District holds beautiful homes covered in a canopy of mature oak trees, while the mixed-use Loray Mill development hosts contemporary apartments in addition to surrounding remodeled homes. Gastonia has relatively affordable housing compared to nearby Charlotte. As the population of Gastonia is growing, housing in this satellite city is a good investment as home values are steadily increasing.

Lifestyle and Attractions

Gastonia enjoys close proximity to attractions, employment and big-city conveniences in Charlotte, but hosts a myriad of attractive qualities for residents and visitors alike. This large city with a population of more than 70,000 centers on its charming downtown district with local shops, popular restaurants and many cultural attractions.

Residents of Gastonia enjoy kayaking on the 80-acre lake at Rankin Lake Park, or taking a peaceful walk along its greenway trails. Other popular parks in the area include South Fork River Park, Lineberger Park, Crowders Mountain State Park, and many more. Other activities include golfing at Catawba Creek Golf Course, cheering on car races at the dirt tracks at Carolina Speedway, or whitewater rafting along the Catawba River running east of Gastonia. The Gastonia Grizzlies, a collegiate summer baseball team, is Gaston County’s home team, attracting residents from all over.

Residents may shop at the local businesses downtown, head to Eastridge Mall located in Gastonia, or visit Charlotte for shopping, dining and entertainment. Historic and cultural museums in Gastonia include the Schiele Museum and James H. Lynn Planetarium, American Military Museum, James H. Lynn Planetarium, and more.

The community hosts a number of annual festivals and events, including Easter in the Backcountry, Schiele-o-ween, Beer Fest and their July 4th Festival. Performing arts venues include the Little Theatre of Gastonia and the Gaston Dance Theatre. The city’s workforce reflects a mix of blue-collar and white-collar occupations, including manufacturing, office, retail, sales and management jobs. Major employers in Gastonia include Caromont Health, Parkdale Mills, and tenants of Gastonia Technology Park, including Owens Corning, Röchling Group and LANXESS. Otherwise, residents may commute to Charlotte, located approximately 30 miles away, for employment.

Nearby Schools and Higher Education

Gastonia has 22 public schools in the Gaston County Schools system, providing several options for residents. Additionally, there are six private schools in Gastonia, including the well-known Gaston Day School, a top-notch school in the community for more than 40 years. There are no institutions of higher learning within the boundaries of Gastonia, but there are two colleges nearby in Gaston County, including Belmont Abbey College and Gaston College. Additionally, there are a number of colleges and universities scattered throughout the Greater Charlotte Region.

History

The Catawba and Cherokee were the first inhabitants of Gastonia, but German, Dutch, English and Scots-Irish settlers occupied the area by the 1700s. The settlers attempted and failed at farming and were willing to work for a lower wage than their northern neighbors, which attracted many manufacturing companies to the area. Gastonia is named after William J. Gaston, who was a member of the U.S. Congress in the early 1800s and later sat on the North Carolina Supreme Court. He is also credited with writing North Carolina’s official state song, “The Old North State”.

For several years, the Gastonia area was a textile industry hub, but the end of World War I brought stress to the industry, as employers demanded increased productivity while lowering wages. These unfair working conditions inspired many labor strikes in Gastonia, the most noteworthy of which was the Loray Mill strike of 1929. This strike proved to be very successful in a lasting way, propelling the labor movement in its national development. The strikes eventually became the inspiration for a handful of books known as the Gastonia novels.

Approximate Distance to:

Uptown Charlotte: 23 Miles

Charlotte Douglas International Airport: 15.5 Miles

Hospitals:

CaroMont Regional Medical Center: 3.5 Miles

Carolinas Medical Center: 22.5 Miles

Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center: 24 Miles

Major Highway:

US-74: Less Than a Mile

I-85: 2 Miles