Town · North Carolina
Ranlo, North Carolina
Ranlo, town, in Gaston County, North Carolina. Ranlo had 4,848 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 7.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 4,511 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 4,617 (±42). GEOID 3755260.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
4,848
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 4,511 · ACS 2020-2024: 4,617 ±42
Median household income
$78,033
±$16,265 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$200,200
±$38,795 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$1,811
±$422 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Ranlo and what county is it in?
Ranlo is a town in Gaston County, North Carolina. It covers 2.1 square miles of land, 2,190 residents per square mile in 2020.
Ranlo 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 Ranlo, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 4,848 people lived in Ranlo on July 1, 2025, up 7.6% since 2020, in line with North Carolina (+7.2%). The 2020 Census counted 4,511 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 4,617 (±42).
| Measure | Ranlo | Gaston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,617 ±42 | 234,881 | +1,013 |
| Households | 1,692 ±167 | 93,576 | +346 |
| Average household size | 2.72 ±0.28 | 2.48 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,726 ±168 | 101,671 | +310 |
Ranlo's population since 2000
From 2,198 in 2000 to 4,848 in 2025: up 120.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Ranlo 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 Ranlo?
The median resident of Ranlo is 35.0 years old; 26.3% are under 18 and 16.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 50.8%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 30.3%.
| Measure | Ranlo | Gaston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.0 ±2.3 | 39.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 26.3% ±5.9 pts | 22.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.5% ±4.4 pts | 16.5% | – |
| Male | 49.2% ±3.5 pts | 48.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 15.0% ±5.4 pts | 9.9% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 50.8% ±8.2 pts | 66.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 30.3% ±8.3 pts | 17.1% | +9.9 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±1.1 pts | 1.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.7% ±1.7 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 6.6% ±4.5 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 17.9% ±8.1 pts | 10.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.9% ±3.1 pts | 6.7% | – |
| With a disability | 14.5% ±5.4 pts | 14.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.9% ±4.3 pts | 10.7% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.4% ±4.2 pts | 88.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 20.1% ±6.2 pts | 26.5% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.9% ±3.6 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.3% ±5.9 pts | 89.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.0% ±1.5 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 Ranlo earn?
Half of Ranlo's 1,692 households earn less than $78,033 a year (±$16,265), against $67,478 in Gaston County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $69,903 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 5.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Ranlo | Gaston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,033 ±$16,265 | $67,478 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $92,025 ±$21,130 | $91,074 | – |
| Per capita income | $33,230 ±$6,345 | $37,058 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 5.5% ±3.4 pts | 13.5% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.1% ±0.3 pts | 18.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 19.4% ±8.5 pts | 16.1% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.3% ±2.3 pts | 94.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 95.2% ±2.6 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 Ranlo?
Owners occupy 61.6% of Ranlo's occupied homes and renters 38.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $200,200 by its owner (±$38,795). The median renter pays $1,811 a month including utilities, and 43.8% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Ranlo | Gaston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $200,200 ±$38,795 | $266,000 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,811 ±$422 | $1,153 | +$488 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 43.8% ±19.6 pts | 40.8% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,273 ±$142 | $1,493 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 61.6% ±8.2 pts | 66.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 38.4% ±8.2 pts | 33.2% | – |
| Housing units | 1,726 ±168 | 101,671 | +310 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.2% ±4.9 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±6.3 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 87.9% ±8.7 pts | 73.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.5% ±2.8 pts | 8.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 22.4% ±8.8 pts | 10.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 11.0% ±4.7 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.5% ±1.5 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 Ranlo work and get to work?
80.4% of Ranlo's workers drive alone and 11.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 21.2 minutes.
| Measure | Ranlo | Gaston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.9% ±5.7 pts | 62.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% ±5.4 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 80.4% ±6.5 pts | 76.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.0% ±3.7 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.5% ±2.3 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 11.3% ±5.1 pts | 12.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.2 min ±2.9 | 27.0 min | −5.1 min |
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 Ranlo?
1 census tract lies mostly in Ranlo, and 2 more reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 313.01Gaston County | 4,759 | $73,778 |
| Tract 314.02Gaston County | 2,236 | $68,250 |
| Tract 303.02Gaston County | 2,092 | $49,657 |
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 Ranlo) · Census block assignment files
How does Ranlo compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Ranlo is the 4,978th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 155th-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Ranlo ranks 146th of 434 places in North Carolina with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 155th | 549 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 116th | 331 |
| Residents per square mile | 23rd | 443 |
| Median household income | 146th | 434 |
| Per capita income | 219th | 443 |
| Median home value | 298th | 438 |
| Median gross rent | 21st | 395 |
| Poverty rate | 307th | 341 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 304th | 421 |
| Median age | 379th | 442 |
| Owner-occupied share | 270th | 443 |
| Work from home | 179th | 279 |
| Travel time to work | 325th | 439 |
Ranlo's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Ranlo 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 Ranlo?
15 of the 57 figures for Ranlo 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 Ranlo 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 Ranlo.