Athens vs Gastonia
The short version
- Athens is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Gastonia area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $277,600 in Gastonia and $299,200 in Athens.
- Households earn more in Gastonia ($64,059 vs $52,974 median).
- Gastonia is growing faster: +8.2% since 2020 vs +1%.
- Commutes are shorter in Athens (21 vs 27 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Athens, GA | Gastonia, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 128,612 | 87,067 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1% | +8.2% |
| People per square mile | 1,105 | 1,620 |
| Median age | 29.4 | 36.5 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47% | 27% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $52,974 | $64,059 |
| Median home value | $299,200 | $277,600 |
| Home value to income | 5.6× | 4.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,219 | $1,204 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 93.3 | 97.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 76.8 | 97.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $70,000 | $73,000 |
| Homeowners | 41% | 54% |
| Top state income tax | 5.19% | 3.99% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.56% | 7.1% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 20.6 | 26.8 |
| Work from home | 14% | 12% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.3% | 5.7% |
| Poverty rate | 26.5% | 16.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 55° / 34° | 52° / 32° |
| July high / low | 92° / 70° | 90° / 70° |
| Precipitation per year | 49 in | 44 in |
| Snowfall per year | 1 in | 4 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 62 | 49 |
| Nights below freezing | 46 | 58 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 67.0 | 84.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 58% | 46% |
| Home prices, past year | +1% | +1.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +54.8% | +49.9% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Athens: March to May and September to October. Gastonia: April to May and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Athens weather by month and Gastonia weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $70,000 in Athens and $73,000 in Gastonia. Moving from Athens to Gastonia, you would need about $78,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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