Forest City, NC

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2023 Population
64,850
0.263% 1-year growth
US Senator
Thom Tillis
Republican Party
US Senator
Ted Budd
Republican Party
2023 Median Age
45.3
0.891% 1-year increase
2023 Poverty Rate
17.6%
4.24% 1-year decrease
2023 Median Household Income
$49,771
1.47% 1-year decline
2023 Median Property Value
$180,800
14.3% 1-year growth
2023 Employed Population
27,077
1.38% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Forest City, NC had a population of 64.9k people with a median age of 45.3 and a median household income of $49,771. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Forest City, NC grew from 64,680 to 64,850, a 0.263% increase and its median household income declined from $50,512 to $49,771, a −1.47% decrease.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Forest City, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (81.1%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (8.08%), Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (3.58%), Other (Hispanic) (1.85%), and White (Hispanic) (1.82%).

None of the households in Forest City, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.4% of the residents in Forest City, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Forest City, NC are Isothermal Community College (878 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2023, the median property value in Forest City, NC was $180,800, and the homeownership rate was 74.1%.

Most people in Forest City, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 26.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Forest City, NC was 2 cars per household.

United StatesNorth Carolina

Population & Diversity

Forest City, NC is home to a population of 64.9k people, from which 98.4% are citizens. As of 2023, 3.19% of Forest City, NC residents were born outside of the country (2.07k people).

In 2023, there were 10 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (52.6k people) in Forest City, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 5.24k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.32k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.4%
2023 Citizenship
98.7%
2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 98.4% of Forest City, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Forest City, NC was 98.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Forest City, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Forest City, NC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    52.6k ± 305
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    5.24k ± 439
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    2.32k ± 474
5.45%
Hispanic Population
3.53k people

In 2023, there were 10 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (52.6k people) in Forest City, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 5.24k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.32k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

5.45% of the people in Forest City, NC are hispanic (3.53k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Forest City, NC as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    224,963 ± 11,520 people
  2. India
    83,219 ± 7,055 people
  3. Honduras
    48,247 ± 5,380 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 224,963 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 83,219 and Honduras with 48,247.

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Foreign-Born Population

3.19%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
2.07k people
3.01%
2022 Foreign-Born Population
1.95k people

As of 2023, 3.19% of Forest City, NC residents (2.07k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Forest City, NC was 3.01%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Forest City, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    1,605 ± 299
  2. Gulf War (1990s)
    746 ± 242
  3. Gulf War (2001-)
    682 ± 213

Forest City, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.15 times greater than any other conflict.

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Economy

The economy of Forest City, NC employs 27.1k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Forest City, NC were Manufacturing (4,371 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,840 people), and Retail Trade (2,964 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($106,056), Utilities ($61,464), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($59,773).

Employment

Occupations

27.1k
2023 Value
± 1,308
1.38%
1 Year growth
± 6.74%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Forest City, NC grew at a rate of 1.38%, from 26.7k employees to 27.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Forest City, NC, are Production Occupations (2,693 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,352 people), and Management Occupations (2,301 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Forest City, NC.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

27.1k
2023 Value
± 1,308
1.38%
1 Year growth
± 6.74%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Forest City, NC grew at a rate of 1.38%, from 26.7k employees to 27.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Forest City, NC, are Manufacturing (4,371 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,840 people), and Retail Trade (2,964 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Forest City, NC, though some of these residents may live in Forest City, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$42,957
Median earning men ± $2,301
$29,437
Median earning women ± $1,558

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($60,208), Wholesale Trade ($57,297), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($52,909).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($66,152), Information ($59,312), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($56,111).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.
Y-Axis
3.04%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 133
    Other Services (except Public Administration)
  2. 100
    Construction
  3. 90
    Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $188k
    Manufacturing
  2. $102k
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  3. $74.2k
    Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Forest City, NC awarded 878 degrees. The student population of Forest City, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 662 male students and 1,148 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Forest City, NC are White (681 and 77.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (70 and 7.98%), Black or African American (66 and 7.53%), and Unknown (27 and 3.08%).

The largest universities in Forest City, NC by number of degrees awarded are Isothermal Community College (878 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Forest City, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (185 and 21.1%), General Business Administration & Management (127 and 14.5%), and Medical Office Management (44 and 5.01%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 1,810 students enrolled in Forest City, NC, 36.6% men and 63.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,304 records, of which 62.2% were women and 37.8% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Business Administration & Management
    93 degrees awarded
  2. Medical Office Management
    32 degrees awarded
  3. Horse Husbandry & Equine Management
    30 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years recipients in Forest City, NC was General Business Administration & Management with 93 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years from schools in Forest City, NC according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Isothermal Community College
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
878 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Isothermal Community College with 878 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

In 2023, 348 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Forest City, NC, which is 0.657 times less than the 530 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 681 degrees mean that there were 9.73 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 70 degrees awarded.

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Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($1,824) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($206) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,400) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.
Measure

In 2023, 0.995% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.855% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

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Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.
Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (2.18M), Some college (1.81M), and Bachelors Degree (1.69M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Forest City, NC was $180,800 in 2023, which is 0.596 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $158,200 to $180,800, a 14.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Forest City, NC is 74.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65%.

People in Forest City, NC have an average commute time of 26.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Forest City, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$180,800
Median Property Value 2023
±$8,750
$19,699
Median Property Taxes
±$1,065

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Forest City, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Forest City, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

74.1%
Homeownership
2023
63.7%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2023

In 2023, 74.1% of the housing units in Forest City, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 73.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Forest City, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$49,771
Median Household Income
± $2,569
26.6k
Number of Households
± 1,293

In 2023, the median household income of the 26.6k households in Forest City, NC declined from $49,771 from the previous year's value of $50,512.

The following chart displays the households in Forest City, NC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Forest City, NC is from North Carolina.
0.467
2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina
0.47
2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.467 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.639% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023
  1. Drove Alone (81.2%)
  2. Carpooled (9.03%)
  3. Worked At Home (6.74%)

In 2023, 81.2% of workers in Forest City, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.03%) and those who worked at home (6.74%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

26.3 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Forest City, NC have a shorter commute time (26.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.99% of the workforce in Forest City, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Forest City, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Forest City, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Forest City, NC have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

17.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Forest City, NC (11.2k out of 63.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Forest City, NC is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Health

88.2% of the population of Forest City, NC has health coverage, with 33.2% on employee plans, 18.8% on Medicaid, 17.8% on Medicare, 16.4% on non-group plans, and 2.02% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see 1,413 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1634 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 317 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.
1,413 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in North Carolina

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see an average of 1,413 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in North Carolina in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.9% under 18 years, 17.1% between 18 and 34 years, 39.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

11.8%
Uninsured
33.2%
Employer Coverage
18.8%
Medicaid
17.8%
Medicare
16.4%
Non-Group
2.02%
Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Forest City, NC declined by 0.71% from 11.9% to 11.8%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Forest City, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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