Forest City is a town in Rutherford County, North Carolina, home to about 7,363 people across 8.6 square miles. Its ZIP code is 28043.
Homes sold for a median of $153 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Forest City. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Forest City’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)51 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP)36 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Charlotte, NC58 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA489 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Forest City; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Forest City had 7,377 residents in the 2020 census, down 2% since 2000.
It’s the 130th largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.
Rutherford County grew from 25,101 residents in 1900 to 64,444 in 2020.
Rutherford County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 89°F in summer, and winter lows average 27°F. About 52.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Forest City 8 W, NC weather station (8 miles away).
16,815 jobs at 1,289 businesses in Rutherford County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
181 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Forest City.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 23 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 9 |
| Dentists | 7 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 59 |
| Mental health providers | 41 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 22 |
| Optometrists | 1 |
| Chiropractors | 19 |
| Pharmacies | 18 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (3 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1877.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Rutherford County Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest City-Dunbar Elementary SchoolForest City | Pre-K–5 | 459 | Public | 2.2 mi |
| Forrest W. Hunt Elementary SchoolForest City | Pre-K–5 | 460 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| Harris Elementary SchoolForest City | Pre-K–5 | 434 | Public | 4.6 mi |
| Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary SchoolForest City | Pre-K–5 | 231 | Public | 7.1 mi |
| Chase Middle SchoolForest City | 6–8 | 484 | Public | 3.8 mi |
| Rutherford Opportunity CenterForest City | 6–12 | 82 | Alternative Education | 0.8 mi |
| Chase High SchoolForest City | 9–12 | 596 | Public | 5.1 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faith AcademyForest City | 8–9 | 2 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 2.7 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.