28043 ZIP Code — Forest City, NC

Rutherford County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28043 is located in Forest City, North Carolina, within Rutherford County. It covers approximately 66.29 square miles and serves a population of 21,264 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28043

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $150,000. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 63%.

Median household income is $43,770. Poverty affects 27% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 26% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 38% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 23 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 17% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (24%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 28043 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

21,264

population

66.29

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28043 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28043

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28043. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Forest City	Acceptable
Forest City	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28160 Spindale (4.8 mi) 28114 Mooresboro (8.5 mi) 28040 Ellenboro (8.6 mi) 28139 Rutherfordton (9.5 mi) 28018 Bostic (11.8 mi) 28167 Union Mills (13.7 mi) 29323 Chesnee (14 mi) 28722 Columbus (14.5 mi) 28152 Shelby (16.5 mi) 28756 Mill Spring (16.7 mi) 29341 Gaffney (17.3 mi) 28150 Shelby (17.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	21,264
Population density	321 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	161

Geography
Land area	66.29 sq mi
Water area	0.14 sq mi
Latitude	35.3098
Longitude	-81.8703
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	828

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	64.7%	58.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	25.3%	28.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	6.3%	10.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	3.7%	3.5%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

21,264

Population

321

People per sq mi

37.6

Median age

$43,770

Median household income

$25,637

Per capita income

$150,000

Median home value

$723

Median monthly rent

63.3%

Home ownership

26.7%

Poverty rate

7.7%

Unemployment

6,220

Housing units

16.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

730

Under 5

787

796

5–9

859

629

10–14

678

709

15–19

764

559

20–24

602

1,422

25–34

1,534

1,191

35–44

1,285

1,333

45–54

1,437

438

55–59

472

663

60–64

716

1,028

65–74

1,109

604

75–84

651

129

85+

139

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	5,281	24.8%
18 and over	15,983	75.2%
65 and over	3,660	17.2%
Median age	37.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 69.6%

Black or African American 13.1%

Two or more races 6.5%

Hispanic or Latino 5.4%

Other race 4.3%

Asian 0.9%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	15,653	69.6%
Black or African American	2,949	13.1%
Two or more races	1,464	6.5%
Hispanic or Latino	1,220	5.4%
Other race	974	4.3%
Asian	200	0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	24	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	64.7%	58.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	25.3%	28.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	6.3%	10.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	3.7%	3.5%	6.0%

Under $10k 5.0%

$10k–$15k 7.1%

$15k–$25k 17.6%

$25k–$35k 10.4%

$35k–$50k 15.2%

$50k–$75k 15.8%

$75k–$100k 12.3%

$100k–$150k 8.7%

$150k–$200k 3.4%

$200k+ 4.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.0%
$10k–$15k	7.1%
$15k–$25k	17.6%
$25k–$35k	10.4%
$35k–$50k	15.2%
$50k–$75k	15.8%
$75k–$100k	12.3%
$100k–$150k	8.7%
$150k–$200k	3.4%
$200k+	4.3%
Median income	$43,770

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 12.4%

$50k–$100k 18.0%

$100k–$150k 19.6%

$150k–$200k 21.3%

$200k–$300k 16.3%

$300k–$500k 9.2%

$500k–$1M 2.8%

$1M+ 0.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$150,000
Median rent / month	$723
Owner occupied	63.3%
Renter occupied	36.7%
Vacant	11.5%
Single-family detached	68.3%
Large apartment buildings	1.7%
Mobile homes	16.1%
Median rooms	5.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.61

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.4%
2010–2019	1.1%
2000–2009	8.9%
1990–1999	14.4%
1980–1989	14.3%
1970–1979	22.8%
1960–1969	15.7%
1950–1959	10.0%
1940–1949	6.7%
1939 or earlier	5.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.7%
1 bedroom	6.0%
2 bedrooms	29.0%
3 bedrooms	50.2%
4 bedrooms	10.1%
5+ bedrooms	3.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.5%
1 vehicle	33.3%
2 vehicles	34.9%
3 or more	25.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	13.1%
Electricity	74.1%
Propane / LP gas	5.2%
Fuel oil	5.2%
Wood	0.7%
No fuel used	0.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,175	39.0%
Cohabiting couple	573	7.0%
Male householder, no spouse	1,411	17.3%
Female householder, no spouse	2,987	36.7%
Households with children under 18	2,854	35.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,650	32.5%
Average household size	2.58

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	36.1%	26.8%
Married	44.4%	38.9%
Separated	4.9%	5.9%
Widowed	4.0%	11.0%
Divorced	10.6%	17.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.0%

Some HS, no diploma 10.5%

HS graduate 30.7%

Some college, no degree 24.3%

Associate's degree 12.6%

Bachelor's degree 10.4%

Graduate / professional 6.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	84.5%
Bachelor's or higher	16.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	215	4.1%
Kindergarten	479	9.2%
Elementary school	2,290	43.9%
High school	1,132	21.7%
College / grad school	1,106	21.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 18.9%

Manufacturing 17.3%

Professional & management 15.2%

Retail trade 11.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.5%

Construction 8.1%

Other services 5.7%

Transportation & utilities 5.1%

Public administration 2.6%

Finance & real estate 2.5%

Information 1.8%

Agriculture & mining 1.0%

Wholesale trade 0.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	28.8%
Service	19.5%
Sales & office	17.3%
Natural resources & construction	11.4%
Production & transportation	23.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.8%
Government	12.0%
Self-employed	6.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.9%
Carpool	13.9%
Public transit	0.2%
Walk	0.9%
Work from home	3.8%
Other means	1.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.0

Poverty

All people 26.7%

Under 18 years 37.6%

18 and over 23.1%

Married-couple families 8.8%

Female-led households 46.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	38.4%
Retirement income	23.1%
Supplemental Security	8.0%
Cash public assistance	2.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	25.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.7%
High blood pressure	38.8%
High cholesterol	35.8%
Diabetes	13.4%
Heart disease	8.5%
Stroke	4.4%
Asthma	10.2%
Arthritis	30.4%
Kidney disease	3.9%
Pulmonary disease	9.8%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.0%
Binge drinking	14.0%
No physical activity	28.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.9%
Depression	24.3%
Fair or poor health	19.0%
Poor mental health	15.8%
Poor physical health	13.7%
No health insurance	20.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.0%
Visited dentist	55.0%
Cholesterol screening	88.9%
Teeth loss	20.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,019	6.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.0%
Under 18	5.9%
18–64 years	17.0%
65 and over	45.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	51.9%
Public insurance	48.4%
No insurance	14.9%
Uninsured under 19	7.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	19,747	92.9%
Spanish	667	3.4%
Other Indo-European	559	2.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	24	0.1%
Other languages	84	0.4%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	20,343	95.7%
Born in same state	20,203	95.0%
Born in different state	15,324	72.1%
Foreign born	140	0.7%
Naturalized citizen	921	4.3%
Not a US citizen	378	41.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	1,865	8.8%
Arab	1,811	8.5%
Italian	1,810	8.5%
English	183	0.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	72	0.3%
Polish	57	0.3%
Irish	22	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.3%
Internet access	89.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28043

What city is ZIP code 28043 in?

ZIP code 28043 is primarily assigned to Forest City, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28043 in?

ZIP code 28043 falls within Rutherford County, North Carolina.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28043?

27% of residents in ZIP code 28043 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 28043 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 28043 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 28043?

The median home value in ZIP code 28043 is $150,000.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 28043?

The median household income in ZIP code 28043 is $43,770, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 28043 in?

ZIP code 28043 observes the EST timezone.