Forest City is home to 64,930 people. At a median age of 45.3, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. The foreign-born share is 3%. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $201,800. Median rent is $783 a month.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $51,410, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 45.3
US median: 38.9
Less educated
21% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 55%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Forest City
What changed most since 1990
White share87.8% → 80.8%(−7.0 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Median age35.6 → 45.3(+9.7 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
Poverty rate12.3% → 16.8%(+4.5 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
Among the 38 metro and micro areas based in North Carolina
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)18.2%(701)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.3%(784)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era40.2%(1,549)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.6%(176)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.1%(4)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 3,853 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Forest City, decade by decade
Forest City population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
56,918
$57,189
$109,683
9.8%
27.0
2000
62,899
$56,694
$129,884
12.5%
31.4
2010
67,810
$50,874
$145,440
14.6%
35.0
2020
64,444
$52,339
$151,626
19.2%
42.1
2024
64,930
$51,410
$201,800
21.5%
41.9
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
