ZIP 28052
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Bedroom estimates are gross rents that include essential utilities (electricity, water, gas, sewer, trash).
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
October. Asking rents in ZIP 28052 usually run 0.8% below trend in October and 0.9% above it in June, about $24 a month apart at today's median. Based on 9 years of data.
Rent in ZIP 28052 is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in December 2016.
Rent in ZIP 28052 changed +4.1% over the year to September 2026. Across the 190 North Carolina ZIP codes Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.6%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in ZIP 28052 rose 52.6% while median household income rose 25.9% ($39,426 to $49,643). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in ZIP 28052 is 58.8% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 4 months in a row, and rose in 8 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($49,643) is $1,241 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($1,160); a 2-bedroom is $1,270.
1st cheapest of 3 ZIP codes in Gastonia.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 28052. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
Who lives here
ZIP 28052 (Gastonia, NC) is roughly split between renters and owners, has a large share of families with children, has a median income below the national average, 16.5% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How ZIP 28052 in Gastonia, NC has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in ZIP 28052 in Gastonia, NC has climbed by $398 per month, settling near $1,385 after starting the period at $987. Median household income grew from $40,453 to $49,643 between 2021 and 2024, a 22.7% shift. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 17.6 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 13.5% to 16.5%. Taken together, the five-year picture in ZIP 28052 in Gastonia, NC reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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Tips for renters in ZIP 28052
Last updated: October 17, 2026
ZIP code 28052 covers Gastonia, NC. The median rent here is $1,385/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $1,160/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $1,270/mo.
At 33% of local median household income ($49,643/yr), ZIP 28052 ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 4.1% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does ZIP 28052 compare to the rest of Gastonia?
At $1,385/mo, rent takes ~33% of ZIP 28052's median household income ($49,643/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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