Gastonia vs Knoxville
The short version
- Knoxville is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 5% lower than in the Gastonia area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $239,700 in Knoxville and $277,600 in Gastonia.
- Households earn more in Gastonia ($64,059 vs $54,039 median).
- Gastonia has the warmer winter: January highs of 52°F vs 48°F.
- Gastonia is growing faster: +8.2% since 2020 vs +6%.
- Commutes are shorter in Knoxville (20 vs 27 minutes each way).
- Tennessee has no state income tax on wages; North Carolina's top rate is 3.99%.
Side by side
| Gastonia, NC | Knoxville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 87,067 | 202,021 |
| Growth since 2020 | +8.2% | +6% |
| People per square mile | 1,620 | 2,046 |
| Median age | 36.5 | 33.5 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27% | 35% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $64,059 | $54,039 |
| Median home value | $277,600 | $239,700 |
| Home value to income | 4.3× | 4.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,204 | $1,191 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 97.3 | 92.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 97.6 | 82.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $73,000 | $69,400 |
| Homeowners | 54% | 47% |
| Top state income tax | 3.99% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 7.1% | 9.61% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 26.8 | 20.2 |
| Work from home | 12% | 13% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.7% | 4.5% |
| Poverty rate | 16.3% | 20.2% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 52° / 32° | 48° / 30° |
| July high / low | 90° / 70° | 88° / 69° |
| Precipitation per year | 44 in | 52 in |
| Snowfall per year | 4 in | 5 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 49 | 37 |
| Nights below freezing | 58 | 67 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 84.9 | 92.1 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 46% | 56% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.5% | +3.9% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +49.9% | +63.5% |
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: Gastonia: April to May and September to October. Knoxville: May to June and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Gastonia weather by month and Knoxville weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $73,000 in Gastonia and $69,400 in Knoxville. Moving from Gastonia to Knoxville, you would need about $71,300 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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