States › North Carolina › Forest City

Is Forest City, NC expensive to live in?

OKRent takes 27 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$85551% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$38,313about $3,193/month · 56% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$160,80052% lower than U.S. average

Rent here is among the lowest 10% of all U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 4.2 years of household income.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $34,200 a year. That is $16 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other North Carolina cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of North Carolina. It is number 13 of 164 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Forest City
$855
Half Moon
$1,737
King
$942
Mills River
$1,632
Marion
$1,194
Trinity
$1,005
Porters Neck
$1,581

How much do households earn in Forest City?

Under $25k
36.0%
$25k–50k
24.4%
$50k–100k
25.1%
$100k–150k
4.0%
$150k+
3.3%

Share of households by yearly income. 7.3% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Forest City

SizeForest CityU.S. average
1 bedroom$362$1,324
2 bedrooms$884$1,509
3 bedrooms$916$1,698

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Forest City overall?

Everyday prices in North Carolina overall are 6% below the U.S. average (index 94.3, U.S. = 100).

Housing
81
Goods (food, clothes…)
97
Utilities
89
Other services
98
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Forest City, so the North Carolina figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Forest City

🏛️ Property tax$1,143a year · 0.71% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$193a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Forest City

Commute to work26.3 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree14.7%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home45.4%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line32.1%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment7.5%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Forest City?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $261 a month less.

Renting
$855
Owning
$1,116

Owning assumes a typical $160,800 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $16,080 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Forest City, NC?

Renting in Forest City costs a median of about $855 a month in 2026, including utilities. The North Carolina median is $1,496.

How much do I need to make to live in Forest City?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $34,200 a year, or $16 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Forest City cheap or expensive?

Forest City is rated OK: rent takes 26.8% of the typical household income of $38,313. It ranks 13th cheapest of 164 North Carolina cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Forest City?

The median homeowner in Forest City pays $1,143 a year in property taxes, about 0.71% of the median home value.

Is Forest City more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in North Carolina are 6% below the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Forest City?

The median home value in Forest City is $160,800, about 4.2 times the typical yearly household income.

7,363 people live in Forest City. Numbers are typical (middle) values.