City comparison
Gastonia, NC is about 175 miles (300 km) from Wilson, NC in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 4 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Gastonia, NC to Wilson, NC takes about 22 min, covering roughly 175 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Gastonia has a population of 80,615, vs 47,767 in Wilson — about 1.7× larger by population. By land area, Gastonia covers about 54 sq mi vs 32 sq mi for Wilson.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Gastonia | Wilson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,075/mo | $864/mo | 24.4% higher in Gastonia |
| Median home value | $219,700 | $167,400 | 31.2% higher in Gastonia |
| Median household income | $58,047 | $46,891 | 23.8% higher in Gastonia |
| Groceries index | 96.8 | 96.8 | ≈ equal (Wilson slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 89.7 | 89.0 | 0.8% higher in Gastonia |
| Transportation index | 98.4 | 98.4 | ≈ equal (Gastonia slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 97.9 | 97.9 | ≈ equal (Gastonia slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Gastonia, you'd need $82,711 in Wilson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Wilson, NC is about 17.3% cheaper overall than Gastonia, NC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 69% higher in Gastonia than in Wilson. If you earn $80,000 in Gastonia, you'd need about $66,169 in Wilson to keep the same standard of living.