Half of Forest Oaks’ homes were built after 1976
More historic than 13% of U.S. towns · #220 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
Most of Forest Oaks was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976.
About Forest Oaks’ history
How historic is Forest Oaks?
More historic than 13% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
What drives Forest Oaks’ History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Forest Oaks is more historic than 13% of U.S. towns, #220 of 290 in North Carolina. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
North Carolina towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical North Carolina town has 12.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Forest Oaks’ 0.0 sits below most of its state (19% of North Carolina towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
Questions about Forest Oaks’ history
How does Forest Oaks rank for history?
Forest Oaks is more historic than 13% of U.S. towns, #220 of 290 in North Carolina. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Forest Oaks?
4% of Forest Oaks’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.8 points), against a typical 4.1% for a North Carolina town; the median home was built in 1976.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Where this page comes from
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.