GDP / Output
+6.8% YoY
86
$11.3B
Output changed +6.8% in 2024.
Vintage date unknown
State growth6.2%
U.S. growth5.3%
Jobs
Unemployment rate
68
3.6%
Unemployment is 3.6% for April 2026.
Vintage date unknown
State avg3.7%
U.S. avg4.3%
Population
+26.5% 5-year
100
15,546
Population moved +26.5% over the latest ACS window.
Vintage date unknown
State population10,730,404
U.S. population334,922,499
Housing
Rent share of income
76
17.3%
Median rent consumes 17.3% of median household income: Affordable.
Vintage date unknown
State rent$1.2K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.
Federal Funds
$7.0K per resident
91
$1.6B
$1.6B in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.
Vintage date unknown
State total$129.4B
U.S. total$5.3T
Population and output
Trend Snapshot
Reported share
Industry Breakdown
FY2025
Federal Money
Federal obligations
$1.6B
$7.0K per resident in reported federal flow.
Top agencies
Dollars1. Social Security Administration$1.2B
2. Department of Veterans Affairs$159.6M
3. Department of Transportation$95.0M
Top recipients
Dollars1. TRANSPORTATION NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT$94.6M
2. GASTONIA HOUSING AUTHORITY$14.2M
3. GASTON COLLEGE$12.4M
Affordable
Housing Affordability
17.3%
of median income
1BR estimate$1,119
2BR estimate$1,474
Median income$94,883
Median home value$395,000
ACS context
Quick Facts
Population
15,546
Median age
39.4
Bachelor's degree+
51.1%
Poverty rate
7.9%
Labor force participation
64.0%
Prime rate
6.8%
CPI YoY
+3.9%
U.S. GDP YoY
+5.9%
Sources and warnings
Data Provenance
Census ACS 5-year
2024
BLS LAUS / CPS
April 2026
BEA regional CAGDP1
2024
USAspending
FY2025
FRED
2026-06-10
HUD Fair Market Rent
Latest available
Data notes
- HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.
5-year compound growth
Historical Trends
Population CAGR
+4.8%
GDP CAGR
+7.2%
Federal flow
5 years
Population (5 years)
202012,292
202114,442
202214,842
202315,140
202415,546
GDP (5 years)
2020$8.0B
2021$8.7B
2022$9.7B
2023$10.6B
2024$11.3B
2-year linear forecast
Predictive Outlook
Population forecast
202415,546
202516,614 *
202617,335 *
R² = 80.0% · * projected
GDP forecast
2024$11.3B
2025$12.2B *
2026$13.0B *
R² = 99.8% · * projected
Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.
housing affordability breakdown
Cost of Living
Median household income$94,883/yr
Median rent$1,365/mo
Rent share of income17.3%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$23,968/yr
Mortgage share of income25.3%
Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.
employment snapshot
Job Market
Unemployment rate3.6%
State avg3.7%
U.S. avg4.3%
Labor force participation64.0%
Poverty rate7.9%
Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. April 2026.
valuation snapshot
Real Estate
Median home value$395,000
Median monthly rent$1,365
Price-to-rent ratio24.1x
High price-to-rent ratio — renting may be more economical than buying in this market.
composite score
Investment Climate
Investment climateStrong
Composite score83/100
Economic growth86/100
Labor market68/100
Population momentum100/100
Overall stability81/100
Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.