28054 Zip Code Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for the zip code 28054, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

28054 is a zip code in Gaston County, North Carolina, which covers Gastonia and South Point, with a total population of 38,875 people.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in the 28054 zip code. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in 28054.

The estimated population of people living in 28054 is 38,875, with a median age of 38.4.

We can look back at data from previous years to see how the population in the 28054 area has changed over the last 5 years.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
38,875
+4.37%
+4.94%
2020
37,246
 -1.66% -
2019
37,876
+1.45%
-
2018
37,335
+0.78%
-
2017
37,045
 - -

Population of 28054 by Race and Ethnicity

How much has the race and ethnicity of the population in the 28054 zip code changed? The US Census Bureau gives us a few defined types that the population is broken down into.

Let's look at the total numbers and also the change over the last 5 years.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
58.9%
61.9%
 -4.85%
Black/African American
26.1%
23.7%
 +10.13%
Native
0.1%
0.1%
 0.00%
Hispanic
8.9%
8.8%
 +1.14%
Asian
1.4%
1.9%
 -26.32%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
4.4%
3.4%
 +29.41%
Other
0.3%
0.2%
 +50.00%

This data can be very important for anybody studying the 28054 zip for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of 28054 by Age and Gender

We can also monitor the change of the age and gender in the 28054 zip code to track track trends in the population over time.

We can see how the population in 28054 has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 38.4 +1.05% 37.2 -0.8% 39.1 +1.56%
2020 38 -4.76% 37.5 -4.58% 38.5 -4.23%
2019 39.9 +1.01% 39.3 +4.8% 40.2 -1.23%
2018 39.5 +1.54% 37.5 +5.93% 40.7 -1.93%
2017 38.9 - 35.4 - 41.5 -

The median age of the 28054 zip gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population in the 28054 area, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 2,690 -2.69% 2,386 0.46% 2,605 2,383
10 to 19 2,290 -2.17% 2,084 +14.12% 2,208 2,385
20 to 29 2,458 +3.21% 2,354 +24.72% 2,527 2,985
30 to 39 2,101 +7.31% 2,541 +10.89% 2,253 2,823
40 to 49 2,084 +25.87% 2,191 +16.53% 2,673 2,561
50 to 59 2,411 -9.64% 2,726 -16.88% 2,133 2,255
60 to 69 1,857 +4.95% 2,490 +1.69% 1,918 2,527
70+ 1,522 +10.87% 2,860 +3.51% 1,683 2,956

Median Household Income

The latest median household income for the 28054 zip code is $49,825.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less.

The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for 28054.

  • Under 25
    $33,269.00
  • 25 to 44
    $60,206.00
  • 45 to 64
    $52,925.00
  • 65 and over
    $39,528.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in the 28054 zip code, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in 28054, and then dividing that number by the total number of households.

This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of 28054 is currently $63,500.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

2.70% of households in 28054 are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of 28054 against other zip codes.

  • Less than $24,999
    26.85%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    23.31%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    20.79%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    11.96%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    11.71%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    2.70%
  • $200,000 or more
    2.70%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in 28054 is $28,416.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of 28054 by the total population of 28054.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people living in the 28054 area, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in 28054 to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    10.86%
  • Bachelor's degree
    26.78%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    14.47%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    44.67%
  • Less than high school diploma
    3.22%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in 28054 that are over the age of 16.

Currently, the total population of the 28054 zip over the age of 16 is 31,157.

Of those people, a total of 63.70% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in 28054 is 61.00%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate. Here's how that breaks down for the 28054 zip code.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 1,863 35.50% 15.30%
20 to 24 years 2,424 76.20% 9.50%
25 to 29 years 3,088 87.70% 7.20%
30 to 34 years 2,697 86.80% 3.60%
35 to 44 years 4,865 85.10% 2.50%
45 to 54 years 5,058 80.90% 1.90%
55 to 59 years 2,078 69.80% 3.70%
60 to 64 years 2,222 53.20% 5.10%
65 to 74 years 4,210 29.20% 0.00%
75 years and over 2,652 7.90% 3.80%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in 28054. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau (which we mentioned earlier in this article).

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 20,501 60.80% 5.10%
Black or African American 7,970 69.60% 3.50%
American Indian and Alaska Native 130 65.40% 0.00%
Asian 423 56.50% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 7 0.00% 0.00%
Other 896 74.90% 0.60%
Two or more races 1,230 69.70% 2.50%
Hispanic or Latino 2,432 78.10% 7.80%
Not Hispanic or Latino 19,388 59.80% 4.40%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations for people living in the 28054 area as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in 28054 is 18,991, with median earnings of $32,993.00.

Women in 28054 are earning approximately 72.90% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 18,991 $32,993.00
Male 9,626 $38,971.00
Female 9,365 $28,419.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings for 28054 even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 1,425 $50,899.00
Business and Financial 694 $61,083.00
Computer and Mathematical 460 $60,088.00
Architecture and Engineering 283 $77,722.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 131 $84,196.00
Community and Social Service 518 $36,776.00
Legal 62 $66,111.00
Educational and Library 980 $26,000.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 200 $66,786.00
Healthcare Practitioners 1,056 $50,465.00
Healthcare Support 625 $26,274.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 260 $34,467.00
Law Enforcement 104 $40,446.00
Food Preparation and Serving 1,083 $17,957.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 602 $21,357.00
Personal Care and Service 475 $17,408.00
Sales 1,925 $26,941.00
Office and Administrative Support 2,485 $32,539.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 7 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 1,186 $24,669.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 757 $40,754.00
Production 2,045 $35,596.00
Transportation and Material Moving 532 $33,712.00

Occupations by Gender

Now we can also look at the occupations by category for 28054 when it is broken down by male and female.

This lets us see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings for 28054.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 744 $57,931.00 681 $36,645.00
Business and Financial 336 $88,143.00 358 $56,816.00
Computer and Mathematical 298 $62,118.00 162 $48,304.00
Architecture and Engineering 218 $78,909.00 65 $48,977.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 98 $90,214.00 33 $0.00
Community and Social Service 245 $38,622.00 273 $35,625.00
Legal 36 $250,001.00 26 $0.00
Educational and Library 69 $50,234.00 911 $24,817.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 169 $67,054.00 31 $47,031.00
Healthcare Practitioners 151 $51,550.00 905 $50,258.00
Healthcare Support 69 $25,469.00 556 $26,420.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 173 $39,375.00 87 $33,412.00
Law Enforcement 94 $40,357.00 10 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 393 $26,699.00 690 $16,357.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 372 $27,375.00 230 $15,714.00
Personal Care and Service 93 $22,188.00 382 $16,579.00
Sales 1,070 $35,682.00 855 $19,746.00
Office and Administrative Support 697 $32,233.00 1,788 $32,750.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 1 $0.00 6 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 1,071 $24,039.00 115 $43,268.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 680 $41,025.00 77 $39,550.00
Production 1,364 $39,752.00 681 $17,145.00
Transportation and Material Moving 448 $32,685.00 84 $65,500.00

Households and Family Size

A household is defined by the US Census Bureau as a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 16,468 households in 28054, with an average household size of 2.33 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 9,273 families living in the 28054 zip code with an average family size of 3.09 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each, that live in 28054:

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 6,161 925 2,187 7,195
Average Household Size 3.11 3.87 3.12 1.23
Total Families 6,161 925 2,187 0
Average Household Size 3.09 3.39 2.98 0

Poverty

Of the 9,273 families living in 28054, 9.30% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in 28054:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 18,010 housing units in 28054.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 16,468 91.44%
Vacant 1,542 8.56%

47.98% of the total 18,010 housing units in 28054 are rental units. This is approximately 8,641 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 7,508 are occupied by the owner - or 41.69% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in 28054 is $986.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in 28054 that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    319
  • Less than $500
    533
  • $500 to $999
    4,022
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    3,466
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    463
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    80
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    25
  • $3,000 or more
    52

Property Value

The median value of a property in 28054 is $159,800.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in 28054 that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    243
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    1,136
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    1,892
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    2,008
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    1,598
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    510
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    121
  • $1,000,000 or more
    0

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in 28054. The chart below shows the number of properties in 28054 that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    1,141
  • 1940 to 1949
    844
  • 1950 to 1959
    2,429
  • 1960 to 1969
    2,731
  • 1970 to 1979
    2,501
  • 1980 to 1989
    2,734
  • 1990 to 1999
    2,105
  • 2000 to 2009
    2,151
  • 2010 to 2013
    1,374
  • 2014 or later
    0

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in 28054 that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    1,546
  • 1 vehicle available
    6,426
  • 2 vehicles available
    5,876
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    2,620

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in 28054 get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in 28054 that commute to work in a particular way.

25 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in 28054.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    718
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    1,628
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    3,167
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    2,823
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    1,708
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    878
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    2,711
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    668
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    784
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    1,334
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    1,139
  • 90 or more minutes
    280

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for 28054 in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

States in 28054

If you want to see how the population and demographics of 28054 compare to other zip codes in North Carolina, check out the list of all North Carolina zip codes below: