Housing data for Forest City, NC
Forest City, NC has an estimated 7,363 residents and 3,335 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a town in Rutherford County.
54.6% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $813 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+2.9%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 7,363 (±34)
- Housing units
- 3,335 (±272)
- Households that rent
- 54.6%
- Median gross rent
- $813
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +2.9%
What stands out in Forest City
Households that rent: 54.6% (±8.1 points) in Forest City, higher than in Rutherford County (26.1%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 10.7% (±4.8 points) in Forest City, higher than in Rutherford County (3.8%).
Rental vacancy rate: 2.2% (±3.2 points) in Forest City, lower than in Rutherford County (9.1%).
Homes built before 1980: 78.4% (±11.7 points) in Forest City, higher than in Rutherford County (49.0%).
Housing in Forest City at a glance
- Median rent: $813 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $840 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 59.1% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 54.6% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $35,524 median household income
- Home values: $160,800 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,131 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $1,143 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 10.7% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 55.9% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 78.4% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 2.2% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 64.9% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 26.3 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 311 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +2.9% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 23.4% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 3.1% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Forest City against Rutherford County, its state and the nation
| Forest City | Rutherford County | North Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 7,363 (±34) | 64,930 (exact) | 10,730,404 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 3,335 (±272) | 32,775 (±47) | 4,895,668 (±642) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 54.6% (±8.1 points) | 26.1% (±2.1 points) | 33.4% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $813 (±$58) | $783 (±$19) | $1,228 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $35,524 (±$5,910) | $51,410 (±$2,731) | $72,388 (±$324) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $160,800 (±$19,341) | $201,800 (±$9,065) | $288,900 (±$1,086) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $1,143 (±$253) | $1,178 (±$51) | $1,896 (±$8) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 78.4% (±11.7 points) | 49.0% (±2.9 points) | 33.9% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 26.3 minutes (±3.1) | 26.1 minutes (±0.9) | 25.1 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 83.1% (±5.5 points) | 82.9% (±2.2 points) | 90.1% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 35.1 years (±5.6) | 45.3 years (±0.4) | 39.1 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Forest City covers 8.6 square miles of land, about 857 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Forest City has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 7,155 (±23) | 7,363 (±34) | +2.9% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 3,717 (±329) | 3,335 (±272) | −10.3% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $592 (±$45) | $813 (±$58) | +37.3% | Up after inflation |
| Median home value | $101,400 (±$15,140) | $160,800 (±$19,341) | +58.6% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $27,589 (±$4,268) | $35,524 (±$5,910) | +28.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $974 (±$59) | $1,131 (±$288) | +16.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $836 (±$174) | $1,143 (±$253) | +36.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 57.9% (±6.2 points) | 54.6% (±8.1 points) | −3.3 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.1% (±1.6 points) | 2.2% (±3.2 points) | +1.1 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Forest City
In 2025, the Forest City Police Department reported 311 violent and 4,808 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Rutherford County, the departments that report recorded 188 violent and 1,522 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Forest City
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28043 | 13% | 20,930 | $783 | $175,400 | $42,276 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Forest City
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bostic | 2.7 mi | $855 | $171,900 | 31.9% |
| Spindale | 3.4 mi | $755 | $167,400 | 56.4% |
| Ruth | 5.3 mi | $675 | $138,300 | 24.7% |
| Rutherfordton | 5.5 mi | $860 | $288,400 | 35.7% |
| Ellenboro | 6.2 mi | $711 | $164,400 | 34.6% |
| Mooresboro | 10 mi | $800 | $225,000 | 32.1% |
| Lattimore | 12 mi | $850 | $169,700 | 12.7% |
| Boiling Springs | 13 mi | $1,192 | $265,400 | 23.7% |
Places in North Carolina most like Forest City
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roxboro | $860 | $157,700 | $36,553 | 49.3% |
| Ahoskie | $809 | $143,200 | $40,987 | 52.4% |
| Spindale | $755 | $167,400 | $41,262 | 56.4% |
| Lexington | $893 | $179,900 | $43,128 | 58.4% |
| Long View | $794 | $157,300 | $46,739 | 46.9% |
| Ramseur | $683 | $155,300 | $35,923 | 55.4% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across North Carolina.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Forest City, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $861 | $866 | $1,012 | $1,354 | $1,374 |
HUD income limits for Forest City, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $16,450 | $27,450 | $43,900 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $31,350 | $50,150 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $35,250 | $56,400 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $39,150 | $62,650 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $42,300 | $67,700 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $45,450 | $72,700 |
| 7 people | $48,550 | $48,550 | $77,700 |
| 8 people | $51,700 | $51,700 | $82,700 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Rutherford County, NC, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $77,200.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
What you can do on Seayora in Forest City
One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.
Own or manage a rental?
List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Forest City beside you.
Create a landlord account · See what landlords get
Looking for a place to rent?
Browse homes for rent near Forest City, save the ones you like and apply online.
Browse rentals · Create a renter account
Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?
Get found by owners and renters near Forest City, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.
Questions about Forest City
What is the average rent in Forest City, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Forest City is $813 (±$58) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Forest City?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Forest City, NC is $344 (±$191) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Forest City rent-burdened?
59.1% of renting households in Forest City pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Forest City?
Forest City has an estimated 1,463 (±266) renting households, 54.6% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Forest City?
The median household income in Forest City is $35,524 (±$5,910) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Forest City, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $160,800 (±$19,341) for owner-occupied homes in Forest City (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Forest City growing?
In Forest City, the number of residents went from 7,155 in 2015–2019 to 7,363 in 2020–2024 (+2.9%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Forest City?
The ZIP code that covers Forest City is 28043.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 28043?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 28043 is $783 (±$23) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Forest City town, North Carolina
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Forest City town, North Carolina
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Forest City town, North Carolina
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Forest City town, North Carolina
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Forest City town, North Carolina
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Forest City town, North Carolina
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Forest City town, North Carolina
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Rutherford County, NC
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Rutherford County, NC
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Forest City Police Department (ORI NC0810100)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Forest City town, North Carolina (place:24080, in state:37).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .