Attic Insulation in Gaston County, NC

Gaston County and Its Homes

Gaston County grew 8 percent from 2020 to 2025, to 246,558 people by the Census Bureau's estimate, in about 101,700 housing units.

Its twelve incorporated towns each have a page here: Gastonia, Mount Holly, Belmont, Cherryville, Dallas, Bessemer City, Cramerton, Ranlo, Stanley, Lowell, McAdenville and High Shoals. About 65 percent of Gaston County's housing units are inside town limits, the rest in unincorporated areas.

Tan neoclassical courthouse with columns and trees in front in Gastonia — The historic second Gaston County Courthouse in Gastonia, the county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina Photo: Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and resized

Gaston County at a Glance

Population: 246,558 (2025), 228,640 (2020)
Housing units: about 101,700
Median year built: 1982 (North Carolina: 1991)
Built before 1980: 47% (statewide: 34%)
Detached houses: 73%
Mobile homes: 9%
Owner-occupied: 67%
Heated with electricity: 57% (statewide: 65%)
Climate zone: 3 on both maps
Towns with pages here: 12

Census Bureau estimates for Gaston County (housing: 2020 to 2024).

Towns and Communities in Gaston County

Gastonia
87,067 people · median home 1978 · its own electric system
Mount Holly
19,033 people · median home 1999 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Belmont
16,415 people · median home 2002 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Cherryville
6,523 people · median home 1970 · its own electric system
Dallas
6,392 people · its own electric system
Bessemer City
5,834 people · median home 1968 · power varies by address
Cramerton
5,713 people · median home 2001 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Ranlo
4,848 people · Duke Energy Carolinas
Stanley
4,237 people · median home 1979 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Lowell
3,939 people · Duke Energy Carolinas
McAdenville
960 people · median home 2010 · Duke Energy Carolinas
High Shoals
637 people · median home 1984 · Duke Energy Carolinas
Kings Mountain
Cleveland County town · about 1,200 residents in Gaston County

Unincorporated communities the Census Bureau maps in Gaston County: Springdale (median year built 1967) and Alexis.

What We Do in Gaston County

Attic Insulation in Gaston County
Some 47 percent of Gaston County housing units predate 1980; joists showing above their insulation mean more blown-in fiberglass is due, R-49 from bare.
Attic Insulation Removal in Gaston County
Wet, moldy or animal-soiled insulation comes out of Gaston County attics, and a mouse-soiled Gaston County attic is sanitized and deodorized; in the 23 percent of homes built before 1960, vermiculite is ruled out first.
Air Sealing in Gaston County
Some 57 percent of Gaston County homes heat with electricity, often through attic ducts; their joints and the ceiling's gaps are sealed first.

Homes in Gaston County

Half of Gaston County's 101,700 housing units were built before 1982: 34 percent before 1970, 47 percent before 1980 (nearly all before the state's 1978 insulation rule) and 14 percent in 2010 or later. The largest share went up in the 2000s, under codes that asked for less than ENERGY STAR now suggests; ENERGY STAR notes insulation is often thinnest at the eaves. Among Gaston County towns, the median home is oldest in Bessemer City (1968) and newest in McAdenville (2010).

Gaston County by type: 73 percent detached houses, 15 percent in buildings of two or more homes and 9 percent mobile homes. In Gaston County, 57 percent of homes heat with electricity, 38 percent with piped gas and 3 percent with tank gas.

Gaston County Homes by Year Built

Before 1940: about 7,850 units, 8% (±1)
1940s: about 5,410 units, 5% (±1)
1950s: about 9,710 units, 10% (±1)
1960s: about 11,790 units, 12% (±1)
1970s: about 13,340 units, 13% (±1)
1980s: about 12,570 units, 12% (±1)
1990s: about 12,390 units, 12% (±1)
2000s: about 14,850 units, 15% (±1)
2010s: about 10,870 units, 11% (±1)
2020 or later: about 2,900 units, 3% (±1)

Climate Across Gaston County

NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for Gaston County towns, by station: Gastonia station (Dallas, Cramerton, Ranlo, Stanley and 2 more): about 3,000 heating and 1,850 cooling degree days; Lincolnton 4 W station (Cherryville, Bessemer City and High Shoals): about 3,330 heating and 1,470 cooling degree days; Charlotte Douglas Airport station (Mount Holly and Belmont): about 3,060 heating and 1,770 cooling degree days; Gastonia Municipal Airport station (Gastonia): about 2,870 heating and 1,850 cooling degree days.

Power and Gas in Gaston County

The card lists Gaston County's town utilities by the territory maps; a power bill confirms the one at an address.

Enbridge Gas North Carolina holds the Gaston County gas franchise (NC Utilities Commission map), and 38 percent of Gaston County homes heat with piped gas.

Who Supplies Power in Gaston County

Duke Energy Carolinas: Mount Holly, Belmont, Cramerton, Ranlo, Stanley, Lowell, McAdenville and High Shoals; parts of Bessemer City; homes near Gastonia, Cherryville and Dallas
Rutherford EMC: parts of Bessemer City; homes near Gastonia, Cherryville, Dallas and High Shoals
Gastonia's own electric system: Gastonia
Cherryville's own electric system: Cherryville
Dallas' own electric system: Dallas
EnergyUnited: homes near Mount Holly and Stanley

Energy Programs for Gaston County Homes

Check each program's current terms for a Gaston County home; some pay only through the utility's contractor network. Insulation Pros is an approved Duke Energy trade ally for Duke's rebate.

Programs for Gaston County

Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Duke Energy rebate; Mount Holly, Belmont, Cramerton, Ranlo and more).
Home Energy House Call (Duke Energy home assessment; Mount Holly, Belmont, Cramerton, Ranlo and more).
ElectriCities energy audits (ElectriCities member towns; Gastonia, Cherryville and Dallas).
Income-qualified Weatherization (Duke Energy income-qualified; Mount Holly, Belmont, Cramerton, Ranlo and more).
ThermWise Weatherization Assistance (Enbridge Gas; Gaston County gas customers): no-cost weatherization for gas customers, income-qualified.
Energy Saver North Carolina (statewide income-qualified; any Gaston County address).
Weatherization Assistance Program (statewide income-qualified; any Gaston County address).

Get Your Free Estimate

or call (336) 870-3893

Gaston County Insulation FAQs

Do you serve all of Gaston County?

Yes: Gastonia, Mount Holly, Belmont, Cherryville, Dallas, Bessemer City, Cramerton, Ranlo and four more towns, the parts of Kings Mountain inside Gaston County, and every unincorporated Gaston County address.

Which utilities offer insulation rebates in Gaston County?

Duke Energy's Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Mount Holly, Belmont, Cramerton, Ranlo and more).

Does attic insulation in Gaston County need a permit?

Ask Gaston County Building Inspections before work starts. For an address in Gastonia, Mount Holly, Belmont or another Gaston County town, the town or city hall can tell you whether Gaston County's office handles its permits.