Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.073 homes sold in Forest City in the last year, at a typical $222K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Forest City homes are listed.
Every place Forest City homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Forest City.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Houses are 100% of Forest City’s sales, at a typical $222K
73 homes sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 73 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $156NC $207
- Days to sell
- 119
- Sold over asking
- 12%
- Listings with a price cut
- 32%
More homes sell than most years, at 2.2 times the 2016 price
73 sales in the last year, against 131 in 2022 and a low of 19 in 2013. The typical sale went from $100K in 2016 to $222K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $200K buys in Forest City
Check a listing against what Forest City homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Forest City are rarer than before the pandemic, and more homes are for sale
We read every month of Forest City’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 73 sales.
If you’re buying in Forest City
- Shop in November. It brings about 8 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (19% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 32% of listings have cut their price, against 15% before the pandemic.
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 96.7% of the list price on average; 12% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 16% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 119 days.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 8 a month), but April is the most competitive: 35% of April sales close over asking. October and November offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (22%). November has the least competition (19%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like North Carolina as a whole
| Forest City now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | NC now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 12% | 19% | 26% | 17% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 16% | 29% | 47% | 30% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 32% | 15% | 16% | 27% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 96.7% | 94.6% | 96.8% | 97.8% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 119 | 76 | 59 | 62 |
35 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 4.6 times the 2012 low (8) and 115% more than in 2017–19.
1 in 3 listings has cut its price
32% in the last year, against 15% in 2017–19 and 27% across North Carolina. More sellers are pricing high and coming down.
Forest City ranks 148th of 224 busy North Carolina markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Forest City is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Forest City home costs about $1,290 a month
Price: Forest City’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Forest City’s 0.7% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Forest City is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 5.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $222K home, about $1,580 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Forest City, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Forest CityTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Forest City.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
No busy market nearby sells for less a square foot; Lake Lure for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Forest City, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby | 313 | $256K | $155 | 18% | 96 |
| Lake Lure | 99 | $512K | $271 | 9% | 144 |
| Forest City | 73 | $222K | $156 | 12% | 119 |
| Rutherfordton | 71 | $342K | $179 | 11% | 112 |
| Spindale | 49 | $237K | $156 | 33% | 118 |
| Boiling Springs | 39 | $307K | $163 | 21% | 59 |
| Chesnee | 32 | $219K | $167 | 12% | 76 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Forest City, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Forest City. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Forest City with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Forest City
What do homes sell for in Forest City, NC?
73 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $222K, $156 a square foot.
Is Forest City a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A buyer’s market: 36 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 3 sold, about 12 months of supply. Buyers paid 96.7% of asking on average, and 32% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Forest City?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Forest City?
About 0.7% of a home’s value a year. On a $222K home that’s near $1,580.
Where can I see homes for sale in Forest City?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Forest City’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Forest City.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).