28043 ZIP Code, Forest City, NC
28043 is a ZIP code in Forest City, North Carolina in Rutherford County. It covers 66 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 28160, 28019 and 28074. 20,930 people live here in 8,271 households. With about 316 people per square mile it is lightly settled, and owners and renters are mixed (64% own). Median household income is $42,276, well below the North Carolina median of $72,388.
Quick facts
- Mailing city: Forest City, NC
- County: Rutherford County
- Land area: 66 sq mi
- Population: 20,930
- Median household income: $42,276
- Carrier routes: 14 (8,873 homes)
Key figures
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Residents | 20,930 |
| Households | 8,271 |
| Median household income | $42,276 |
| Income per person | $26,226 |
| Median age | 40.1 |
| Homeowners | 64.4% |
| Median home value | $175,400 |
| Median rent | $783 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.5% |
| Average commute (minutes) | 23.6 |
| Households with kids under 18 | 33.5% |
| Moved in the past year | 10.1% |
| Below the poverty line | 22.3% |
| Broadband internet | 84.5% |
| Speak a non-English language at home | 6.9% |
Household income
| % of households | Value |
|---|---|
| <$10K | 4.3% |
| $10–15K | 6.3% |
| $15–25K | 16.7% |
| $25–35K | 12.6% |
| $35–50K | 16.7% |
| $50–75K | 13.5% |
| $75–100K | 13.3% |
| $100–150K | 9.0% |
| $150–200K | 4.3% |
| $200K+ | 3.2% |
Age
| % of all residents | Value |
|---|---|
| <10 | 14.4% |
| 10–19 | 11.9% |
| 20–24 | 5.4% |
| 25–34 | 13.6% |
| 35–44 | 9.9% |
| 45–54 | 15.0% |
| 55–64 | 12.5% |
| 65–74 | 10.4% |
| 75+ | 6.7% |
Tenure
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Owned, with mortgage | 29.0% |
| Owned outright | 28.1% |
| Rented | 29.9% |
| Vacant | 13.1% |
Type of building
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Detached house | 67.7% |
| Townhome | 1.9% |
| 2–4 units | 5.7% |
| 5–19 units | 4.6% |
| 20+ units | 1.7% |
| Mobile / other | 18.4% |
Businesses in 28043
506 business establishments with 7,997 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).
- Retail Trade: 113
- Health Care and Social Assistance: 72
- Other Services (except Public Administration): 66
- Accommodation and Food Services: 55
- Construction: 42
- Finance and Insurance: 30
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 24
- Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services: 20
EDDM carrier routes
28043 has 14 USPS carrier routes with 8,873 residential and 801 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.
Carrier routes in 28043
28043 has 14 USPS carrier routes (5 city (C), 9 rural (R)) with 8,873 residential and 801 business mailboxes. Routes range from 489 homes (R023) to 832 homes (R004); the median route has 644 homes. The Census counted 8,271 households in 28043 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.
| Homes per route | Routes |
|---|---|
| 1–249 | 0 |
| 250–499 | 1 |
| 500–749 | 11 |
| 750–999 | 2 |
| 1,000–1,499 | 0 |
| 1,500+ | 0 |
Best routes in 28043 for…
Most businesses
For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.
- Route C005 — USPS business mailboxes 132, 503 homes
- Route C004 — USPS business mailboxes 129, 503 homes
- Route C002 — USPS business mailboxes 128, 660 homes
- Route R007 — USPS business mailboxes 94, 629 homes
- Route C003 — USPS business mailboxes 93, 547 homes
Select these 5 routes on the route map
Every carrier route in 28043
| Route | Type | Homes | Businesses | Est. median income | Est. owners | Est. families with kids | Est. moved in past year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C001 | City | 559 | 23 | $66,873 | — | — | — |
| C002 | City | 660 | 128 | $42,170 | — | — | — |
| C003 | City | 547 | 93 | $81,966 | — | — | — |
| C004 | City | 503 | 129 | $33,047 | — | — | — |
| C005 | City | 503 | 132 | $31,081 | — | — | — |
| R001 | Rural | 785 | 13 | $42,170 | — | — | — |
| R002 | Rural | 714 | 28 | $63,011 | — | — | — |
| R003 | Rural | 666 | 44 | $67,560 | — | — | — |
| R004 | Rural | 832 | 29 | $42,090 | — | — | — |
| R005 | Rural | 716 | 27 | $42,170 | — | — | — |
| R006 | Rural | 659 | 14 | $62,726 | — | — | — |
| R007 | Rural | 629 | 94 | $63,011 | — | — | — |
| R008 | Rural | 611 | 14 | $53,863 | — | — | — |
| R023 | Rural | 489 | 33 | $53,863 | — | — | — |
Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 28043 on the EDDM route map.
How route demographics are estimated
Mailbox counts come from USPS; demographics are estimates
The number of homes and businesses on each carrier route is the current USPS EDDM count. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for carrier routes, so income, homeownership, ages, families, movers and housing age on a route are EDDM2GO estimates built from Census block groups (neighborhood areas of roughly 600 to 3,000 people).
How a route gets its figures: the block-group length-share method
We trace each route's streets every 25 meters and record which block group each stretch falls in. The route's homes are spread along its streets in proportion to length, so a route with 60% of its street length in one block group is assumed to have 60% of its homes there. Each block group then contributes its Census counts in proportion to the share of its housing units that sit on the route (capped at the whole block group). Medians are recalculated from the combined income, home-value and age brackets, the way the Census Bureau computes them, not averaged.
Margins of error
Census survey figures carry a margin of error at 90% confidence; we carry it through the calculation and show it as ±. Our margins treat the route-to-block-group split as exact, so the real uncertainty is larger. Routes with fewer than 100 estimated households, large margins, or streets we could not place are flagged.
Different years
USPS mailbox counts are current. Census figures are 5-year averages for 2020–2024, so a new subdivision may have more homes on the route today than the Census counted. Use the route figures to compare routes with each other, not as an exact head count.
Why some routes show identical figures
Two routes that run through the same block group get the same percentages and medians, because the Census publishes one set of figures for the whole block group. Their mailbox counts still differ, and those are exact.
Route and mailbox counts: USPS EDDM route data. Route demographics: EDDM2GO estimates from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year block-group data (2020–2024) and 2024 cartographic block-group boundaries. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Nearby ZIP codes
- 28160 — Spindale town, NC (4.4 mi)
- 28019 — Caroleen CDP, NC (4.7 mi)
- 28074 (5.1 mi)
- 28076 — Henrietta CDP, NC (6.4 mi)
- 28024 — Cliffside CDP, NC (7.4 mi)
- 28139 — Rutherfordton town, NC (7.4 mi)
- 28040 — Ellenboro town, NC (8.5 mi)
- 28114 — Cliffside CDP, NC (8.9 mi)
Areas that include 28043
- Forest City, NC ZIP codes — 1 ZIP code
- Rutherford County ZIP codes — 14 ZIP codes
- North Carolina ZIP code data
Where it ranks
- No. 5 of 9: highest median home value in Rutherford County
- No. 1 of 9: highest share of households with children in Rutherford County
- No. 4 of 9: highest share of residents who moved in during the past year in Rutherford County
- No. 2 of 9: lowest median age in Rutherford County
- No. 2 of 9: fastest population growth in Rutherford County
Mail every home in 28043
Route counts on this page price as Full Service 6.5 × 9 postcards: we print, bundle by carrier route and hand the mailing to USPS. Prefer to take it to the Post Office yourself? Print only costs less and you pay postage at drop-off.
EDDM guides
ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 28043, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
Frequently asked questions
- What city is 28043 in?
- 28043 is a Forest City, NC mailing address. By land area, 13% lies inside Forest City; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.
- What county is 28043 in?
- 28043 is in Rutherford County.
- What is the population of 28043?
- About 20,930 people (±1,155), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 20,183.
- What is the median household income in 28043?
- $42,276 (±$5,144), compared with $72,388 for North Carolina as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
- How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 28043?
- 14 USPS carrier routes with 8,873 residential and 801 business mailboxes (9,676 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
- What ZIP codes are near 28043?
- The closest, measured center to center: 28160 (4.4 mi, Spindale), 28019 (4.7 mi, Caroleen), 28074 (5.1 mi), 28076 (6.4 mi, Henrietta), 28024 (7.4 mi, Cliffside) and 28139 (7.4 mi, Rutherfordton).
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.