Gastonia, North Carolina
Gastonia, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Location in the U.S. state of North Carolina | |
| Country State County | United States North Carolina Gaston County, North Carolina |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jennifer T. Stultz |
| Population (2000) | |
• City | 66,277 |
| • Metro | 2,067,810 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Website | http://www.ci.gastonia.nc.us/ |
Gastonia is a city in Gaston County in North Carolina, a state of the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 66,277. It is the county seat of Gaston CountyTemplate:GR. It is considered part of the greater Metrolina area, a region of population, of which Charlotte is the locus.
Geography
Gastonia is located at 35°15′19″N 81°10′49″W / 35.25528°N 81.18028°WInvalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (35.255220, -81.180249)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 119.8 km² (46.3 mi²). 119.3 km² (46.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (0.43%) is water.
Gastonia Is Nicknamed "The Gas-House" and "Little Chicago"
People and Culture
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 67,781 people, 25,945 households, and 17,720 families residing in the city. The population density was 555.6/km² (1,438.9/mi²). There were 27,857 housing units at an average density of 233.5/km² (604.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.18% White, 25.62% African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.17% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.76% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.45% of the population.
There were 25,945 households out of which 30.6% had children under the living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.0% under the , 8.8% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,924, and the median income for a family was $44,873. Males had a median income of $33,215 versus $24,173 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,592. 15.0% of the population and 11.8% of families were below the poverty line. 21.2% of those under the and 12.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Notable Residents
The following people are former or current residents of Gastonia:
- NFL and CFL player Rufus Crawford
- Musician Fred Durst
- NBA star James Worthy
- NBA star Darrell Armstrong
- NBA star Eric "Sleepy" Floyd
- MLB star Sammy Sosa
- MLB pitcher Kevin Millwood
- Musician Of RNB Group "ATL" Trè'Kas "Trè" Simms
- Glenn Dunnaway, NASCAR driver
Transportation
Bus (local)
Gastonia Transit (GT) is Gastonia's city transit provider. The bus service operates on a fixed-route system covering most of the city. GT has a new fleet of seven buses and stops are clearly visible around town. Buses run Monday-Saturday, and transfer downtown Gastonia at the Bradley Station. Regular fare is $1.00, transfers are free.
Bus (intercity)
Greyhound Lines, Inc., is Gastonia's intrastate/interstate transit provider. The bus station in located on Davis St., just east of downtown.
Train
Amtrak's Crescent train connects Gastonia with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans. The unmanned Amtrak station is situated at 350 Hancock Street.
Air
The Gastonia area is served by two airports. The Gastonia Municipal Airport handles most of the city's private air service needs. It is located in the southeast part of the city, off NC 274. The Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (Charlotte) provides Gastonia with a major domestic/international gateway. CLT is 20 miles east of Gastonia, easily accessible to Interstate 85 and US 29/74.
See also
External links
- Official website of Gastonia, NC
- Piedmont Data Systems provides on-site computer support for Gastonia and neighboring cities.
