Cost of Living in Forest City, NC

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13%
Overall NAT. AVG.
2%
Goods & Services NAT. AVG.
37%
Housing NAT. AVG.
Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from C2ER in January, 2026; this is the most current data available.
The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living is 90, then it is 10% lower than average. If the cost of living is 110, then it is 10% higher than average. The breakdown for each index is as follows: goods & services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). If the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used.
Index Forest City North Carolina National
Cost of living8796100
Goods & Services98101100
Groceries98100100
Health care93110100
Housing6388100
Transportation10294100
Utilities8994100
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Homes For Sale In Forest City, NC

property for sale

161 Baxter Way

Forest City, NC
property for sale

335 Harmon St

Forest City, NC
property for sale

TBD Whitesides Rd

Alexander Mills, NC
property for sale

154 Lovelace Rd

Forest City, NC

Cost Of Living Quick Facts

  • The cost of living in Forest City is 9% lower than the North Carolina average
  • The cost of living in Forest City is 13% lower than the national average
  • Forest City housing is 37% lower than the national average
  • North Carolina general sales tax is 7% lower than the national average
  • North Carolina state income tax is 83% higher than the national average

Most Affordable Places to Live in and Around Forest City

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Compare Forest City, NC Cost of Living

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      Salary Calculator

      This is how much you would need to earn in
      Price difference in compared to
      Cost of living index
      Goods & Services index
      Groceries index
      Health care index
      Housing index
      Transportation index
      Utilities index

      Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

      Median Income Per Year Per Month Max Budget (28% DTI) Max Budget (36% DTI)
      Owners$68,853$5,738$1,606$2,066
      Renters$36,140$3,012$843$1,084
      The percent of monthly income spent on housing can be a good indicator of the affordability of housing in Forest City, NC, as well as the overall cost of living. As a general rule of thumb, the debt-to-income ratio (DTI) for homeowners or renters should be not more than 28 percent of gross income to be spent on housing related costs and not more than 36 percent of income on all expenses, including debts. The median income for Forest City homeowners, is $68,853. This would allow for a maximum of $1,606 per month to be spent on housing costs. For renters, the median monthly income is $36,140 which would result in a maximum of $843 to be spent on rental costs.

      North Carolina Sales Tax

      State General Sales Tax With Max Surtax
      North Carolina 4.75% 7.5%

      North Carolina Income Tax

      State Income Tax (Low) Income Tax (High)
      North Carolina 4.75% 4.75%

      Goods & Services

      Item Forest City National avg. Difference
      Haircut $31.01$27.6212.3%
      Beauty Salon $55.11$51.117.8%
      Toothpaste $4.03$4.091.5%
      Shampoo $1.70$1.5410.2%
      Movie $14.00$12.888.7%
      Yoga $18.25$19.667.2%

      Groceries

      Item Forest City National avg. Difference
      Ground Beef $7.70$7.700.1%
      Fried Chicken $1.63$1.661.9%
      Milk $4.82$4.731.8%
      Potatoes $5.63$5.267.1%
      Pizza $11.82$12.767.4%
      Beer $10.50$10.550.5%

      Health Care

      Item Forest City National avg. Difference
      Optometrist $124.13$140.0611.4%
      Doctor $134.40$153.8212.6%
      Dentist $106.13$123.1513.8%
      Ibuprofen $11.57$11.731.4%
      Lipitor $24.96$23.615.7%

      Housing

      Item Forest City National avg. Difference
      Home Price $197,437.00$326,622.0039.6%
      Avg. Mortgage Payment $1,697.46$2,480.2531.6%
      Apartment Rent $980.00$1,444.0032.1%

      Transportation

      Item Forest City National avg. Difference
      Gasoline $2.79$3.068.7%
      Tire Balancing $82.59$65.2126.7%

      Utilities

      Item Forest City National avg. Difference
      All Electricity $182.07$220.1217.3%
      Phone $196.76$195.710.5%
      Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

      Nearby cities with low cost of living

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Henrietta, NC465973.0%
      Caroleen, NC459973.0%
      Fingerville, SC32973.0%
      Cliffside, NC727973.0%
      Casar, NC3688218.0%
      Forest City, NC7,3858713.3%

      Cities with similar population

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      East Hills, NY7,385274173.9%
      Saint-Philippe, QC7,384n/a 
      Watford City, ND7,38611010.3%
      Hudson, NH7,38611414.3%
      Crozet, VA7,38313029.9%
      Forest City, NC7,3858713.3%
      Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from C2ER in January, 2026; this is the most current data available.
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