Forest City 65 Good
Forest City Livability #300 ranked city in North Carolina#12,532 ranked city in the USARanks better than 57% of areas
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Pros and Cons of Living in Forest City

PROS
  • Cost Of Living Cost Of Living

    The cost of living in this region is notably lower than the national average, encompassing everyday goods, housing, utilities, transportation and health care expenses.

  • Housing Housing

    High scores in the housing category are attributed to this area, possibly pointing to a favorable home affordability ratio, robust appreciation rates or elevated home values.

  • Health & Safety Health & Safety

    Achieving a high health and safety score relies on factors including great air quality and convenient access to vital health facilities such as hospitals, doctors, clinics and police stations.

CONS
  • Commute Commute

    Access to public transportation in this particular area may be limited, which can result in longer-than-average commute times to reach workplaces.

  • Crime Crime

    This area exhibits elevated crime rates per 100,000 residents, which may suggest it's a potentially unsafe place to reside. These rates encompass both property and violent crimes.

  • Employment Employment

    Low income levels and high unemployment rates results in a low score in the employment category. It could prove difficult to find well-paying employment in this area.

  • Schools Schools

    The lower than average schools score may be influenced by below-average education levels, subpar reading and math scores and the lack of access to local elementary and high schools.

What's it like Living in Forest City?

Forest City, North Carolina is a smaller city with a population of 7,385 people. If you are a young adult or student, you might be pleased to know that the average age of all Forest City residents is 33. Forest City is very likely to be a great place to live for singles as only 48%, of the population (over fifteen) are classified as married. The average American spends about 26 minutes on their one way commute to work each day. Lower travel times can increase overall happiness and allow for more time to be spent with family and friends. While living in Forest City, your commute times will be about average, with a one way commute time of 24 minutes.

Whether you’re relocating to a new town to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in Forest City could be a positive experience compared to other cities in North Carolina if you know where to search. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. The best areas in Forest City and in surrounding cities are easier to find when you are able to make informed decisions. Using data from amenities, crime, cost of living, commute, housing, you will see a detailed breakdown of the most important information as well as comparisons to the North Carolina and national averages.

The livability score in Forest City is 65/100 and the city is ranked in the 57th percentile of all cities across America. For each of the livability categories, we know that Forest City ranks very well for housing (A). There are some categories that Forest City scores poorly for, including: crime (F), education (F) and employment (F). It might be worth taking a closer look to find out why.

A healthy real estate market serves as a key economic indicator. It could signify overall local economic strength, stability and reflects consumer confidence in the area. Based on multiple factors including: median home and rental prices, appreciation rates and home affordability, Forest City has received high marks in the housing category. Based on these calculations, the apartment rental and real estate market appears to be very healthy.

Certain items on your wish list like shopping, restaurants, nightlife, parks and proximity to public transportation are all important things to look for. Having said that, perhaps the most important metric to consider when contemplating a move to Forest City is real estate affordability. The median home price for Forest City homes is $197,437, which is 31.8% lower than the North Carolina average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Forest City, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 4.5, which is 9.8% higher than the North Carolina average.

Best Places to Live in and Around Forest City

See all the best places to live around Forest City

How Do You Rate The Livability In Forest City?

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Compare Forest City, NC Livability

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      Forest City transportation information

      Statistic Forest City North Carolina National
      Average one way commute24min24min26min
      Workers who drive to work78.3%81.1%76.4%
      Workers who carpool17.4%9.8%9.3%
      Workers who take public transit0.6%1.1%5.1%
      Workers who bicycle0.0%0.2%0.6%
      Workers who walk0.4%1.8%2.8%
      Working from home3.3%4.8%4.6%
      Source: The Forest City, NC data and statistics displayed above are derived from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) and include 2026 modeled data developed using proprietary methodologies.