Forest City, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28043

Rutherford County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 13, 2026

21,055
128/sq mi: $42,276
Median income: $175,400
Median home value: 18.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Forest City pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

7th pct
household income, US ZIPs: 37th pct
home value, US ZIPs: 128
people per sq mi: 64%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28043 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28043 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 164.1 square miles in Forest City, Rutherford County, North Carolina. The area is home to 21,055 residents, producing a population density of 128 people per square mile, and falls within the New York time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 28043 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28043 sits at $42,276 (39% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $26,226. The poverty rate stands at 22.3% and the unemployment rate at 6.0%. On housing, the median home value is $175,400 (32% below the state average) with median rent at $783 per month, and 64.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28043 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 18.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.1, and the average commute is 24 minutes. We also surface 6 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Rutherford County, so you can benchmark 28043 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →

Top industries in ZIP 28043

Retail trade

113
Health care and social assistance

72
Other services (except public administration)

66
Accommodation and food services

55
Construction

42

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28043, Forest City, NC · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-13 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

21,055

Population

164.1

Area (sq mi)

128

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard

Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.

View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 28043?

40.1

Median Age

46.6%

Male

53.4%

Female

4.2%

Foreign-Born

White 71.7%

African American 13.3%

Asian 0.7%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%

Two or More Ethnicities 9.3%

Hispanic or Latino 8.1%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$42,276

Median Household Income

-39% vs state

$26,226

Per Capita Income

22.3%

Poverty Rate

6.0%

Unemployment Rate

23.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 28043 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$42,276 7th percentile higher than 7% of 30,318 US ZIPs

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. 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 · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 52.2%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 18.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

9,556

Total Housing Units

8,271

Occupied Units

1,285

Vacant Units

2.50

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 64.4%

Renter 35.6%

$175,400

Median Home Value

-32% vs state

$783

Median Rent

1975

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+0.8%

YoY Change (2024)

262

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+162%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 28043 have increased 0.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +162% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+5.2%	162
2021	+15.8%	187
2022	+22.1%	229
2023	+13.9%	260
2024	+0.8%	262

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 506 business establishments in ZIP 28043, employing approximately 7,997 people with a combined annual payroll of $307,936,000.

506

Businesses

7,997

Employees

$307.9M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Retail trade	113	22.3%
Health care and social assistance	72	14.2%
Other services (except public administration)	66	13.0%
Accommodation and food services	55	10.9%
Construction	42	8.3%
Finance and insurance	30	5.9%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	24	4.7%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	20	4.0%
Manufacturing	18	3.6%
Wholesale trade	17	3.4%
Real estate and rental and leasing	16	3.2%
Information	14	2.8%
Transportation and warehousing	10	2.0%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	4	0.8%
Educational services	3	0.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 28043 vs 28160 →

28043

21,055
28139

20,111
28040

7,969
28114

7,554
28160

3,929
28076

722
28019

123

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28043 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

28114

$60,500
28040

$58,816
28139

$56,558
28043

$42,276
28160

$40,868

What this shows By household income, ZIP 28043 ranks #4 of 5 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
28160	Spindale, NC	3,929	4.5 mi
28019	Caroleen, NC	123	5.0 mi
28076	Henrietta, NC	722	5.8 mi
28139	Rutherfordton, NC	20,111	7.4 mi
28040	Ellenboro, NC	7,969	8.8 mi
28114	Mooresboro, NC	7,554	8.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Rutherford County

Rutherford County Forest City, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28043 in? ▼

ZIP code 28043 (Forest City) is located in Rutherford County, North Carolina. Rutherford County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/rutherford-nc.

What is the population of ZIP code 28043? ▼

ZIP code 28043 in Forest City, NC has a population of 21,055 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 28043? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 28043 is $42,276, which is 45% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 28043? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 28043 is $175,400, which is 37% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28043? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 28043 is White at 71.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 8.1% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 28043? ▼

ZIP code 28043 has 506 business establishments employing approximately 7,997 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 28043? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28043 are: Retail trade (113), Health care and social assistance (72), Other services (except public administration) (66). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 28043? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 28043 increased by 0.8% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 162%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

What is the education level in ZIP code 28043? ▼

In ZIP code 28043, 52.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 18.5% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).

What is the average commute time in ZIP 28043? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28043 is 23.6 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.

What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28043? ▼

In ZIP code 28043, approximately 64.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 35.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28043? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 28043 is 22.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.