Population 18,933 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Forest City
Household size in Forest City
| Period | Forest City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.27 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.49 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.50 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.53 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.26 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Forest City has 2.53 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has climbed from 2.27 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the north and smallest in the west.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Forest City
| Period | Forest City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.8 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.2 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.1 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.9 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.9 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Forest City are younger than 39.9 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 41.8, even as the national median rose. Residents skew youngest in the east and oldest in the north.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Forest City
| Period | Forest City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.4% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 18.1% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Forest City: 18.1% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has risen 5.7 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Only 16 of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Forest City
Renters in Forest City
| Period | Forest City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.0% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 37.4% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.5% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.4% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a third of households in Forest City rent their homes (35.4%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Just over half of owners (51.7%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southeast. The renter share is up 1.4 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Forest City
| Period | Forest City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.5% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.2% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.6% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Forest City: 14.6% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy is down 1.0 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Forest City
| Period | Forest City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1974 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +7 | +6 |
Housing in Forest City leans a little older: the median home dates to 1974, against 1980 nationally. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the east has the oldest housing. Of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only 14 have older homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Forest City
| Period | Forest City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $517 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $609 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $624 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $751 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$234 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Forest City runs $751 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $234 a month from 2006–10, a 45% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 30.3% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the northwest; the highest are in the east.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Forest City
Bachelor's degrees in Forest City
| Period | Forest City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.6% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.7% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.8% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.2% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Forest City have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 18.2%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 4.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Forest City
| Period | Forest City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.1% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.7% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.3% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.5% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in seven adults in Forest City never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 8.4 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Forest City
| Period | Forest City | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.5% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 15.6% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.4% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.2% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.3 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Forest City than nationally: unemployment was 6.2%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 8.3 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Forest City compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest City | 2.53 | 39.9 | 18.1% | 35.4% | 14.6% | 1974 | $751 | 18.2% | 86.5% | 6.2% |
| Spindale | 2.17 | 45.7 | 15.5% | 49.4% | 11.7% | 1968 | $757 | 15.7% | 81.2% | 9.8% |
| Henrietta | 3.19 | 30.1 | 16.2% | 34.4% | 19.0% | 1963 | $641 | 4.1% | 78.9% | 12.7% |
| Ellenboro | 2.50 | 43.4 | 9.2% | 14.4% | 15.9% | 1983 | $709 | 18.4% | 89.5% | 6.7% |
| Harris | 2.48 | 39.3 | 11.7% | 25.0% | 14.1% | 1988 | $820 | 12.2% | 87.3% | 12.2% |
| Ruth | 2.93 | 49.9 | 11.1% | 24.1% | 9.8% | 1977 | $667 | 18.3% | 87.8% | 1.9% |
| Rutherfordton | 2.52 | 45.2 | 11.4% | 21.8% | 11.9% | 1986 | $796 | 25.7% | 88.2% | 3.9% |
| Bostic | 2.14 | 52.8 | 5.6% | 18.2% | 16.2% | 1986 | $999 | 19.8% | 88.8% | 5.6% |
| Mooresboro | 2.50 | 46.4 | 10.0% | 22.9% | 15.6% | 1983 | $733 | 17.6% | 88.3% | 6.3% |
| Westminster | 1.89 | 60.9 | 2.2% | 6.5% | 15.5% | 1988 | $1,577 | 14.9% | 84.8% | 9.5% |
| Hollis | 2.65 | 44.5 | 8.9% | 6.4% | 22.2% | 1992 | $753 | 27.0% | 84.8% | 1.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rio Rico, AZ · Homewood, IL · Howard, WI · Hudson, MA · Kirksville, MO · La Canada Flintridge, CA · Lanham, MD · Point Pleasant, NJ · Port Wentworth, GA · Powhatan, VA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Forest City. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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