City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Forest Oaks, NC

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Forest Oaks - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

4,095
Residents
$108,250
Median income
$294,400
Median home
$1,330
Median rent (state)

Forest Oaks - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Forest Oaks lands in the 82nd percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

82nd
percentile, household income
64th
percentile, home value
48th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Forest Oaks, NC

4,095 people live in Forest Oaks, North Carolina - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Forest Oaks brings in $108,250 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 4.7%. Home values in Forest Oaks run a median of $294,400, and the median resident age is 48.9 years. About 46.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 57.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Living costs in North Carolina run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, North Carolina scores 94.3 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,330 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts North Carolina's average monthly utility costs around $215 (state average). The average commute for Forest Oaks workers runs 19.4 minutes, with 77.8% driving alone and 11.3% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 93.4 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

4,095 residents

Census ACS 2023 - North Carolina

Median Household Income

$108,250 /yr

Poverty 4.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.3 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average

How does Forest Oaks compare to other US cities?

Where Forest Oaks sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 82% higher than other cities
Home value 64% pricier than other cities
Median rent 48% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Forest Oaks against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to North Carolina only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

North Carolina-relative analysis

Bachelor's Degree or Higher places Forest Oaks toward the top of North Carolina's cities

Among the 746 North Carolina cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, Forest Oaks ranks #100 - the 87th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Forest Oaks only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#56 of 700
92nd percentile in North Carolina
Median Gross Rent
#211 of 746
70th percentile in North Carolina
Median Home Value
#167 of 708
76th percentile in North Carolina
Poverty Rate
#519 of 746
29th percentile in North Carolina
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#100 of 746
87th percentile in North Carolina

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within North Carolina only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

82ndIncome percentile

82nd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Forest Oaks's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$294,400 36th percentile more affordable than 36% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). This entry sits in this band. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Forest Oaks $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Forest Oaks, NC Forest Oaks, NC's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Forest Oaks, NC-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Forest Oaks, NC median $108,250/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Forest Oaks, NC's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Forest Oaks, NC. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 46.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 57.1%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
4,095
Median Income
$108,250
Median Home Value
$294,400
Median Age
48.9
Poverty Rate
4.7%
Labor force participation
57.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
46.7%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
19.4 minutes
Drive Alone
77.8%
Carpool
10.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
11.3%

Based on 1,885 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for North Carolina - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$215
estimated/month

Estimates reflect North Carolina state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a North Carolina state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Forest Oaks sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,330/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
93.4 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in North Carolina

Trent Woods
4,086 people
Southport
4,143 people
Benson
4,144 people
Surf City
4,160 people
Elkin
4,025 people
Wingate
4,169 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Forest Oaks's 4,095 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

North East, MD
4,095 people
Gordon Heights, NY
4,095 people
Metamora, IL
4,094 people
Fruit Hill, OH
4,094 people
Jonesboro, LA
4,092 people
Taylor, AZ
4,091 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Forest Oaks's $108,250 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Hockingport, OH
$108,250 median income
Marana, AZ
$108,256 median income
Manchester, WA
$108,242 median income
Deer Park, CA
$108,261 median income
Mountain View, CO
$108,269 median income
Morris, AL
$108,274 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Forest Oaks, NC Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Forest Oaks, NC - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 77.5% 15.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0.0% White 77.5% Black or African American 15.5% Asian 0.5% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 2.4% Two or more races 4.0% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Forest Oaks compares to nearby North Carolina cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Forest Oaks (this city) 4,095 $108,250
Trent Woods 4,086 $109,097
Southport 4,143 $82,792
Benson 4,144 $65,614
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Forest Oaks, NC?

What is the population of Forest Oaks, NC? +

The population of Forest Oaks, NC stands at 4,095 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Forest Oaks, NC? +

Forest Oaks households earn a median of $108,250 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Forest Oaks? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Forest Oaks; the closest available measure is the North Carolina state average, a cost of living index of 94.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within North Carolina vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Forest Oaks, NC? +

The median home value in Forest Oaks is $294,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.