ZIP Code · NC

ZIP 28054

Part of Gastonia, NC

Pop. 41,707·Gaston County·167th most expensive ZIP in North Carolina

Median rent (all units)

$1,483/mo

Year-over-Year

Stable

Month-over-Month

+0.5%

vs US Median

-$449

Reported rents

Stable (Monthly)

Be the first to discuss 28054 rents ↓

Most AffordableMost Expensive

ZIP 28054 · $1,483

More affordable than 74% of US ZIP codes · National median $1,932/mo

Rent check

Is your rent fair?

Compare your rent to the local median.

Medians by bedroom

Rent by unit size

Studio

$1,310

1 BR

$1,370

2 BR

$1,500

3 BR

$1,850

4 BR+

$2,350

Research median

$1,500/mo

Bedroom estimates are gross rents that include essential utilities (electricity, water, gas, sewer, trash).

Rent trends

12-month history

Loading…

Last updated: October 17, 2026

From the history

What the numbers show

Cheapest month to sign

January. Asking rents in ZIP 28054 usually run 1.6% below trend in January and 1.1% above it in July, about $40 a month apart at today's median. Based on 7 years of data.

Compared with the peak

Rent in ZIP 28054 is 0% below its high of $1,483 in August 2025, at $1,483 as of September 2026.

Past year vs. the rest of North Carolina

Rent in ZIP 28054 changed +0.1% over the year to September 2026. Across the 190 North Carolina ZIP codes Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.6%.

Since before the pandemic

Rent in ZIP 28054 is 45.5% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.

Recent direction

Rent rose in 6 of the last 12 months.

What a typical income covers

30% of the median household income ($61,035) is $1,526 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,500); a 3-bedroom is $1,850.

Rank in Gastonia

2nd cheapest of 3 ZIP codes in Gastonia.

From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 28054. 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.

Annual cost

$17,796/yr

At $1,483/mo median

Location

CityGastonia

StateNC

CountyGaston County

Rent Market Meter

Balanced Market

Renter's MarketBalancedLandlord's Market

Rents are roughly steady, with neither renters nor landlords holding a strong edge right now.

Based on rent-price momentum (+0.1% YoY, +0.5% MoM), not inventory.

Demographics

Who lives here

ZIP 28054 (Gastonia, NC) is roughly split between renters and owners, has a median income below the national average, 22% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Population

41,707

Median income

$61,035

Median age

36.2

Renters

53.2%

Age distribution

22.4%

25.2%

25%

17.2%

Under 1822.4%

18–3425.2%

35–5425%

55–6410.2%

65+17.2%

Gender

46.7%

53.3%

Male46.7%

Female53.3%

Race & ethnicity

55.3%

29.6%

White55.3%

Black29.6%

Hispanic11%

Asian1.2%

Other2.9%

Education (25+)

30.3%

37.6%

22%

No HS diploma10.1%

HS diploma30.3%

Some college37.6%

Bachelor's+22%

Housing tenure

46.8%

53.2%

Owner46.8%

Renter53.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates

2021 vs 2026

How ZIP 28054 in Gastonia, NC has changed in 5 years

Rent

$1,140 → $1,483

up 30.1%

Income

$49,825 → $61,035

up 22.5%

Population

38,875 → 41,707

up 7.3%

Renter share

54.4% → 53.2%

-1.2 pts

Bachelor's+

21% → 22%

+1.0 pts

Median age

38.4 → 36.2

-2.2 yrs

Compared with 2021, rent in ZIP 28054 in Gastonia, NC has increased by $343 per month, settling near $1,483 after starting the period at $1,140. Median household income grew from $49,825 to $61,035 between 2021 and 2024, a 22.5% shift. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 7.6 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 38,875 to 41,707 between 2021 and 2024, a 7.3% change. Taken together, the five-year picture in ZIP 28054 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.

Community

Discussions about ZIP 28054

No discussions yet. Start the conversation.

Local insights

Tips for renters in ZIP 28054

About renting in ZIP 28054

Last updated: October 17, 2026

ZIP code 28054 covers Gastonia, NC. The median rent here is $1,483/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $1,370/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $1,500/mo.

At 29% of local median household income ($61,035/yr), ZIP 28054 ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.1% over the past year.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much income do you need to rent in ZIP 28054?

To keep rent at or below 30% of gross income, you would need to earn at least $59,000/year (about $28/hour full-time) to afford the median rent of $1,483/mo in ZIP 28054. The local median household income is $61,035/yr, so the typical household meets that bar.

Is rent going up or down in ZIP 28054?

Rent in ZIP 28054 has been roughly flat over the past year as of September 2026, a +0.1% change. It sits 0% below its high of $1,483 in August 2025.

When is the cheapest time to rent in ZIP 28054?

Asking rents in ZIP 28054 are usually lowest in January, about 1.6% below their yearly trend, and highest in July, about 1.1% above it. At today's median that is a gap of roughly $40 a month. This pattern comes from 7 years of Zillow rent data.

How does ZIP 28054 compare to other ZIPs in North Carolina?

ZIP 28054 is one of the more affordable among North Carolina ZIP codes for rent, ranking #167 of 230 at $1,483/mo. Over the year to September 2026, rent in ZIP 28054 changed +0.1%, against a typical +2.6% across the 190 North Carolina ZIP codes Zillow tracks.