Is Neuse Forest, NC a Good Place to Live?
Neuse Forest is a small town of 2,176 in North Carolina, with a median household income of $84,542 and a 10.3% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 90 (US average = 100), which is 10% below the national average.
Strengths: Neuse Forest stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Neuse Forest is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Neuse Forest city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 89.9Neuse Forest's overall cost of living index is 89.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Neuse Forest costs roughly 10% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Neuse Forest, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $208,100 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,266 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 75.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $84,542 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageNeuse Forest's violent crime rate is 240.8 per 100,000 residents — 37% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | Neuse Forest, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 36.7% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 94.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Neuse Forest sees average highs of 57.1°F in January and 89.8°F in July, with 59.8 inches of annual precipitation and 0.8 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Neuse Forest, NC |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 57.1°F |
| Average High — July | 89.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 59.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Neuse Forest, NC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,176 | — |
| Median Age | 32.4 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 10.3% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 24.5 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 99.3% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.4% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 29.4% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 17.6% | 16.8% |