Forest City, formerly known as "Burnt Chimney", is a town in Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 7,377 as of the 2020 census, making it the most populous municipality in the county.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Forest ranks

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#26Lowest property tax in NC #37Most affordable in NC #52Cheapest rent in NC All NC rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code28043

Area code828

Living in Forest

Housing in Forest

$190K▲ 5.1% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Forest home is worth about $190,000, up 5.1% in a year, 43% below the North Carolina typical home.

Only 3 sales in May 2026, too few for a market read. The typical value is the steadier guide.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Forest

D⁻

Safety Grade D-

Forest reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 97% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Forest 3.1

North Carolina 3.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Forest 48.1

North Carolina 18.1

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Schools in Forest

All Forest schools →

B⁻

School Grade B-

The public schools Forest’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 51% of North Carolina’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

See how Forest’s schools compare in NC →

DistrictRutherford County SchoolsSchools4

Forrest W. Hunt Elementary School BElementary · Grades PK–5 · 460 students Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School B-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 459 students Rutherford Opportunity Center DHigh · Grades 6–12 · 82 students FAITH ACADEMY

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within NC. Ratings are from neighbors.

Famous people from ForestWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Forest.Meet them →