Population 280 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Forest Hills
Household size in Forest Hills
| Period | Forest Hills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.00 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.97 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.54 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.69 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.31 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Forest Hills are small: just 1.69 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.00 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Hills
| Period | Forest Hills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.8 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 26.0 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 24.1 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 23.5 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.3 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 23.5, Forest Hills is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults in their twenties.
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 Hills
| Period | Forest Hills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.9% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 0.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Forest Hills: 6.7% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 Hills
Renters in Forest Hills
| Period | Forest Hills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 56.8% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 63.4% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 66.6% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 73.4% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +16.6 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Forest Hills: 73.4% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 46.5% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Hills
| Period | Forest Hills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.3% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.0% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.3% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.9% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Forest Hills: 14.9% 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.
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 Hills
| Period | Forest Hills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1995 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1997 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2003 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +26 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Forest Hills is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 2003, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole.
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 Hills
| Period | Forest Hills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $664 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $650 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $693 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $798 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$134 | +$528 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Forest Hills costs $798 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 43.6% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Hills
Bachelor's degrees in Forest Hills
| Period | Forest Hills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.4% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 66.6% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.7% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 56.5% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.1 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Forest Hills: 56.5% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby.
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 Hills
| Period | Forest Hills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.1% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 98.3% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.4% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.7% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Forest Hills: 96.7% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Hills
| Period | Forest Hills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.6% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.8% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Forest Hills than nationally: unemployment was 3.8%, against 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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 Hills 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 Hills | 1.69 | 23.5 | 6.7% | 73.4% | 14.9% | 2003 | $798 | 56.5% | 96.7% | 3.8% |
| Cullowhee | 2.14 | 26.4 | 8.5% | 64.9% | 14.2% | 1998 | $940 | 34.0% | 94.2% | 11.3% |
| Speedwell | 2.37 | 41.5 | 2.8% | 53.8% | 22.6% | 1982 | $1,003 | 32.2% | 94.0% | 0.0% |
| Pumpkintown | 1.86 | 32.3 | 14.1% | 55.8% | 11.6% | 1989 | $814 | 29.8% | 93.1% | 1.4% |
| Erastus | 2.36 | 41.8 | 2.9% | 53.2% | 23.5% | 1982 | $1,007 | 32.3% | 94.0% | 0.2% |
| Webster | 2.62 | 34.2 | 25.3% | 53.0% | 7.5% | 1987 | $767 | 35.5% | 90.1% | 5.9% |
| East Laport | 2.18 | 41.7 | 5.7% | 50.1% | 16.7% | 1987 | $1,007 | 31.5% | 94.3% | 0.0% |
| Sylva | 2.19 | 43.1 | 13.1% | 34.9% | 15.1% | 1985 | $888 | 28.5% | 90.4% | 3.4% |
| Tuckasegee | 2.43 | 51.5 | 7.6% | 28.0% | 40.5% | 1984 | $1,081 | 29.4% | 91.8% | 1.0% |
| Dillsboro | 2.16 | 48.7 | 9.7% | 40.2% | 34.5% | 1988 | $869 | 28.0% | 92.7% | 3.8% |
| Gay | 1.85 | 47.9 | 13.0% | 1.8% | 25.8% | 1981 | $810 | 20.1% | 98.8% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rubottom, OK · Mercer, ND · Merit, MS · Merriman, NE · Mesena, GA · Methvin, LA · Miami, IN · Miami, MO · Middle Amana, IA · Middlepoint, MD
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 Hills. 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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