Forest City, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Forest City, North Carolina
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Location of Forest City, North Carolina
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| Country | United States | |
| State | North Carolina | |
| County | Rutherford | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 8.59 sq mi (22.23 km2) | |
| • Land | 8.57 sq mi (22.19 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2) | |
| Elevation | 1,011 ft (308 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 7,377 | |
| • Density | 860.89/sq mi (332.40/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP code |
28043
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| Area code(s) | 828 | |
| FIPS code | 37-24080 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 2406505 | |
Forest City, once called "Burnt Chimney," is a town in Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States. In 2020, about 7,377 people lived there. This makes it the biggest town in Rutherford County.
Contents
History of Forest City
Many important places in Forest City are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This is a special list of buildings, sites, and objects that are important to American history. Some of these places include:
- The Alexander Manufacturing Company Mill Village Historic District
- Cool Springs High School
- The East Main Street Historic District
- Forest City Baptist Church
- The James Dexter Ledbetter House
- The Main Street Historic District
- The T. Max Watson House
- The West Main Street Historic District
Geography of Forest City
Forest City is located in western North Carolina. It covers about 8.2 square miles (21.2 square kilometers) of land. A very small part of the town is water.
In 1999, a nearby town called Alexander Mills joined with Forest City. This made Forest City a bit larger.
People of Forest City
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 110 | — | |
| 1890 | 419 | 280.9% | |
| 1900 | 1,090 | 160.1% | |
| 1910 | 1,592 | 46.1% | |
| 1920 | 2,312 | 45.2% | |
| 1930 | 4,069 | 76.0% | |
| 1940 | 5,035 | 23.7% | |
| 1950 | 4,971 | −1.3% | |
| 1960 | 6,556 | 31.9% | |
| 1970 | 7,179 | 9.5% | |
| 1980 | 7,688 | 7.1% | |
| 1990 | 7,475 | −2.8% | |
| 2000 | 7,549 | 1.0% | |
| 2010 | 7,476 | −1.0% | |
| 2020 | 7,377 | −1.3% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 7,162 | −4.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, there were 7,377 people living in Forest City. Most people living in Forest City are White or Black/African American. About 11% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.
In 2014, the town had about 7,324 people. The average household had about 2.23 people. Most people in Forest City speak English at home. About 8.4% of people aged 5 or older speak another language.
About 25.5% of the people in Forest City are under 18 years old. About 20.5% are 65 years old or older. More than half of the people living in Forest City are female.
Fun Things to Do in Forest City
Forest City has some cool places to visit. You can explore the Rutherford County Farm Museum. There's also the Carolina Arcade Museum, which sounds like fun!
The town is home to the Forest City Owls baseball team. They are part of the Coastal Plain League, which is a league for college baseball players in the summer. The Owls play at McNair Field in Forest City. They won the league championship in 2009 and 2010. They were even ranked as the best college summer team in America!
Education in Forest City
The schools in Forest City are part of the Rutherford County Schools district.
Higher Education Options
Isothermal Community College is located nearby in Spindale, North Carolina. It offers different programs for students. The college has a special scholarship called the Lee L. Powers Service Scholarship. This scholarship helps students from Rutherford or Polk Counties pay for their college costs.
Economy of Forest City
In 2010, the company Facebook chose Forest City for a new data center. This was a very big project for the town.
In 2019, Forest City made some big improvements. They built the Forest City Pavilion on Park Square. This new area helps attract visitors and makes the town a nicer place to live.
The Thermal Belt Rail Trail is a long path for biking and walking. It is over 13 miles long. This project also helps the town's economy by bringing in more people.
Famous People from Forest City
- Woody Abernathy – a former baseball pitcher for MLB
- Christine A. Franklin – a teacher who specializes in statistics
- Todd Coffey – a former baseball pitcher for MLB
- John McFadden – a former NASCAR race car driver
- Rob Gray – a professional basketball player
- Venson Hamilton – a professional basketball player
- Bob McNair – a businessman and sports executive
- William Chivous Bostic Sr. – a doctor and researcher
See also
In Spanish: Forest City para niños
