Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
High Shoals has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where High Shoals beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 586 in 1980, 595 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1908 and 3 maps from 1914 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in High Shoals, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in High Shoals.
In High Shoals, 41% of households live in a home they own, below both the North Carolina town median (67%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 5.7% in value. High Shoals’ median rent is $968 a month.
| High Shoals | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 41% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $968 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
High Shoals’ mean commuting time stands at 20 minutes, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 24 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Among residents in the town, 23% live below the poverty line. Half the trips to work are shorter than 18 miles. The top destinations are Gastonia (24%), Charlotte (21%) and Raleigh (3%).
| High Shoals | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 23% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.3% | 6.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
A winter brings about 6 inches of snow, with January nights at 30° and July afternoons at 89°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
For adults in High Shoals, the share who had a checkup this year is 78%. Two figures for adults in the town: 19% report frequent mental distress, 35% feel lonely.
| High Shoals | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 25% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 33% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | High Shoals | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.8% | 7.1% |
| More smokers | 16.7% | 13.5% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 19.4% | 16.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
For High Shoals, the concentration of trails is 0.4 miles per square mile.
| High Shoals | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Compared with 50% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in High Shoals is higher. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 69% come from inland flooding and 11% from tornadoes. Federal aid has come to High Shoals households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around High Shoals. Close and well known come first.
Big draw23 mi Stadium & arenaBank of America Stadium
25 mi Theme parkCarowinds
16 mi LakeLake Norman19 mi MuseumSullenberger Aviation Museum70K visitors a year
26 mi Stadium & arenaBojangles Coliseum
34 mi LandmarkPeachoidBank of America Stadium: HangingCurve, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Carowinds: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Norman: Prince Grobhelm, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bojangles Coliseum: James Willamor, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Peachoid: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain
2 within 15 miles of the center of High Shoals
About 0 of every 100 High Shoals residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
Where High Shoals’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in North Carolina, United States
High Shoals is a city in Gaston County, North Carolina, United States, named for the high rocky shoal across the Catawba River. As of the 2020 census, High Shoals had a population of 595.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
High Shoals has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
