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
-36.5% 5-year
0
534
Population moved -36.5% over the latest ACS window.
Vintage date unknown
State population10,730,404
U.S. population334,922,499
Housing
Rent share of income
70
21.8%
Median rent consumes 21.8% 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
21.8%
of median income
1BR estimate$794
2BR estimate$1,045
Median income$53,333
Median home value$230,400
ACS context
Quick Facts
Population
534
Median age
30.5
Bachelor's degree+
10.4%
Poverty rate
23.2%
Labor force participation
52.6%
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
-8.7%
GDP CAGR
+7.2%
Federal flow
5 years
Population (5 years)
2020841
2021659
2022675
2023565
2024534
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
2024534
2025442 *
2026372 *
R² = 86.8% · * 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$53,333/yr
Median rent$968/mo
Rent share of income21.8%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$13,980/yr
Mortgage share of income26.2%
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 participation52.6%
Poverty rate23.2%
Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. April 2026.
valuation snapshot
Real Estate
Median home value$230,400
Median monthly rent$968
Price-to-rent ratio19.8x
Moderate price-to-rent ratio — buying and renting are roughly balanced in this market.
composite score
Investment Climate
Investment climateModerate
Composite score59/100
Economic growth86/100
Labor market68/100
Population momentum0/100
Overall stability64/100
Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.