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
+14.2% 5-year
100
18,208
Population moved +14.2% over the latest ACS window.
Vintage date unknown
State population10,730,404
U.S. population334,922,499
Housing
Rent share of income
73
19.0%
Median rent consumes 19.0% 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
19.0%
of median income
1BR estimate$1,030
2BR estimate$1,356
Median income$79,385
Median home value$337,800
ACS context
Quick Facts
Population
18,208
Median age
39.0
Bachelor's degree+
36.7%
Poverty rate
8.2%
Labor force participation
69.6%
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
+2.7%
GDP CAGR
+7.2%
Federal flow
5 years
Population (5 years)
202015,947
202117,315
202217,644
202317,928
202418,208
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
202418,208
202518,949 *
202619,462 *
R² = 84.8% · * 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$79,385/yr
Median rent$1,256/mo
Rent share of income19.0%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$20,497/yr
Mortgage share of income25.8%
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 participation69.6%
Poverty rate8.2%
Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. April 2026.
valuation snapshot
Real Estate
Median home value$337,800
Median monthly rent$1,256
Price-to-rent ratio22.4x
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 stability80/100
Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.