City · North Carolina
High Shoals, North Carolina
High Shoals, city, in Gaston County, North Carolina. High Shoals had 637 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 7.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 595 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 534 (±234). GEOID 3731440.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
637
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 595 · ACS 2020-2024: 534 ±234
Median household income
$53,333
±$31,617 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$230,400
±$70,051 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$968
±$292 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is High Shoals and what county is it in?
High Shoals is a city in Gaston County, North Carolina. It covers 2.6 square miles of land, 229 residents per square mile in 2020.
High Shoals is in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 11 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in High Shoals, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 637 people lived in High Shoals on July 1, 2025, up 7.6% since 2020, in line with North Carolina (+7.2%). The 2020 Census counted 595 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 534 (±234).
| Measure | High Shoals | Gaston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 534 ±234 | 234,881 | no clear change |
| Households | 190 ±70 | 93,576 | −108 |
| Average household size | 2.81 ±0.76 | 2.48 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 233 ±78 | 101,671 | −103 |
High Shoals's population since 2000
From 729 in 2000 to 637 in 2025: down 12.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for High Shoals as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in High Shoals?
The median resident of High Shoals is 30.5 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 77.2%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 11.8%.
| Measure | High Shoals | Gaston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 30.5 ±13.6 | 39.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 38.0% ±12.9 pts | 22.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 7.3% ±5.9 pts | 16.5% | – |
| Male | 55.2% ±8.7 pts | 48.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6.0% ±5.4 pts | 9.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 77.2% ±21.5 pts | 66.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 11.8% ±16.6 pts | 17.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.6 pts | 1.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.1% ±6.1 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.6 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.8% ±8.1 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 8.1% ±10.0 pts | 10.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 1.2% ±1.3 pts | 6.7% | – |
| With a disability | 12.9% ±7.8 pts | 14.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 11.2% ±9.2 pts | 10.7% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 96.5% ±4.4 pts | 88.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 10.4% ±7.8 pts | 26.5% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.5% ±6.6 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.9% ±10.4 pts | 89.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±7.7 pts | 1.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in High Shoals earn?
Half of High Shoals's 190 households earn less than $53,333 a year (±$31,617), against $67,478 in Gaston County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $31,853 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | High Shoals | Gaston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,333 ±$31,617 | $67,478 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $62,162 ±$16,680 | $91,074 | – |
| Per capita income | $21,075 ±$6,120 | $37,058 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 23.2% ±23.0 pts | 13.5% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 29.1% ±37.4 pts | 18.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 24.7% ±23.3 pts | 16.1% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.9% ±3.0 pts | 94.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.8% ±13.3 pts | 89.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in High Shoals?
Owners occupy 40.5% of High Shoals's occupied homes and renters 59.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $230,400 by its owner (±$70,051). The median renter pays $968 a month including utilities.
| Measure | High Shoals | Gaston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $230,400 ±$70,051 | $266,000 | +$107,946 |
| Median gross rent | $968 ±$292 | $1,153 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 17.8% ±23.0 pts | 40.8% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,365 ±$263 | $1,493 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 40.5% ±19.6 pts | 66.8% | −23.6 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 59.5% ±19.6 pts | 33.2% | – |
| Housing units | 233 ±78 | 101,671 | −103 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±33.6 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 11.7% ±14.6 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 72.1% ±19.9 pts | 73.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.9% ±7.0 pts | 8.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 3.0% ±4.0 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 9.0% ±9.2 pts | 10.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 12.0% ±11.0 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.1% ±1.8 pts | 5.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in High Shoals work and get to work?
72.9% of High Shoals's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 20.2 minutes.
| Measure | High Shoals | Gaston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 52.6% ±15.1 pts | 62.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.6% ±2.5 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 72.9% ±20.1 pts | 76.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 19.3% ±19.7 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±20.7 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 1.1% ±1.8 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.6% ±9.9 pts | 12.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.2 min ±4.6 | 27.0 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in High Shoals?
No census tract lies mostly in High Shoals; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 304.01Gaston County | 4,174 | $72,934 |
| Tract 303.01Gaston County | 2,592 | $62,457 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in High Shoals) · Census block assignment files
How does High Shoals compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, High Shoals is the 12,224th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 393rd-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
High Shoals is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 393rd | 549 |
High Shoals's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare High Shoals with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for High Shoals?
31 of the 57 figures for High Shoals on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for High Shoals are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in High Shoals.