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+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.88%), 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 (1,063 degrees awarded in 2022).

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.

Forest City, NC borders Asheville, NC, Gaffney, SC, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC, Marion, NC, Shelby, NC, and Spartanburg, SC.

United States North 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 2.52k Two+ (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.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Forest City, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
52.6k ± 305
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
5.24k ± 439
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
2.52k ± 483

5.45%

Hispanic Population

3.53k people

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

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Forest City, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
214,508 ± 11,254 people
India
79,868 ± 6,912 people
Honduras
39,759 ± 4,886 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 214,508 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 79,868 and Honduras with 39,759.

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 lower than 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.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,605 ± 299
Gulf War (1990s)
746 ± 242
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.

Economy

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

Males in North Carolina have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $57,464. The income inequality in North Carolina (measured using the Gini index) is 0.47, which is lower than than the national average.

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.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

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).

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.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

133
Other Services (except Public Administration)
100
Construction
90
Retail Trade

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

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$188k
Manufacturing
$102k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$74.2k
Retail Trade

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

Education

In 2022, universities in Forest City, NC awarded 1,063 degrees. The student population of Forest City, NC in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 694 male students and 1,182 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Forest City, NC are White (800 and 75.5%), followed by Black or African American (93 and 8.78%), Hispanic or Latino (85 and 8.03%), and Unknown (43 and 4.06%).

The largest universities in Forest City, NC by number of degrees awarded are Isothermal Community College (1,063 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Forest City, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (194 and 18.3%), General Business Administration & Management (113 and 10.6%), and Welding Technology (71 and 6.68%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2022 there were 1,876 students enrolled in Forest City, NC, 37% men and 63% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,384 records, of which 62.4% were women and 37.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
194 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
34 degrees awarded
Electrical, Electronic, & Communications Engineering Technology
13 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Forest City, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 194 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Forest City, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Isothermal Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,063 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Isothermal Community College with 1,063 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2022, 448 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Forest City, NC, which is 0.728 times less than the 615 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 800 degrees mean that there were 8.6 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 93 degrees awarded.

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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($1,824) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($206) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.944% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.805% of women were in the same situation.

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

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 2022 were High School or Equivalent (2.16M), Some college (1.84M), and Bachelors Degree (1.63M).

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.

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 approximately the same as 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.

Median household income in Forest City, NC is $49,771. In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Forest City, NC was Wake County, NC with a value of $101,763, followed by Union County, NC and Currituck County, NC, with respective values of $99,243 and $91,548.

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.

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.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Forest City, NC was Wake County, NC with a value of $101,763, followed by Union County, NC and Currituck County, NC, with respective values of $99,243 and $91,548.

The following map shows all of the counties in Forest City, NC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Forest City, NC is from North Carolina.

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2021 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2022, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.47 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0732% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (81.2%)
Carpooled (9.03%)
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.

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.

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.

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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 1413 patients per year on average, which represents a 1% increase from the previous year (1399 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1657 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 336 patients per year.

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 1% increase from the previous year (1,399 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.

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, 47.9% were men and 52.1% were women.

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

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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