Lowell is a small city in Gaston County, North Carolina, United States, located east of Gastonia. The population was 3,526 at the 2010 cens…Lowell is a small city in Gaston County, North Carolina, United States, located east of Gastonia. The population was 3,526 at the 2010 census. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.7 square miles, of which 0.004 square miles, or 0.21%, is water. The South Fork Catawba River borders Lowell on the north, and the city is part of the Cramerton Watershed.