Forest Hills, North Carolina Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 329, Forest Hills's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Forest Hills is a small community located in North Carolina, within Jackson County. The total population is 329. It ranks as the 649th most populous out of 772 Census-designated places in North Carolina.

Age Demographics

The median age in Forest Hills is 46.6 years. This is 19% higher than the state median of 39.1 years. Only 5.2% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 26.4% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Forest Hills is $90,313. This is 25% higher than the state median of $72,388. It is also 12% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 23.7%. This is 82% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.0%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 7.3%. This is 55% higher than the state rate of 4.7%. 56.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 15% lower than the state average of 66.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Forest Hills is White (non-Hispanic), making up 81.5% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 6.1%. The Black or African American population (0.6%) is well below the state average of 20.0%.

Education

69.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Forest Hills in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 93% higher than the state rate of 35.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 88.6%. Notably, 49.3% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Forest Hills, North Carolina is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against North Carolina state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 772 Census-designated places in North Carolina. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.