Neighborhood · Hickory, NC

Forest Hills Eviction Risk: Moderate

1 census tracts · pop 6,750 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 4.7/10 · range 4.7–4.7

Forest Hills is a diverse neighborhood in Hickory with 1 census tract and a population of 6,750 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 4.7/10 (Moderate tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 48% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 5% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $849/month sits 20% lower than the Hickory citywide average ($1,063).

Risk score

4.7

Moderate

1 tracts · population-weighted

Forest Hills vs Hickory How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

47.5% +83%

Hickory: 26.0%

Average gross rent

$849 -20%

Hickory: $1,063

Average HH income

$51,718 -18%

Hickory: $63,361

Poverty rate

17.7% +4%

Hickory: 17.0%

Renter share

47.2% +5%

Hickory: 45.0%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Forest Hills and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 1 tracts span score 4.7–4.7

Why Forest Hills scores 4.7

9 axes · pop-weighted · 1 = landlord-friendly

State political climate

legislature & governorship · Range 2.3–2.3 across tracts

2.3

Regional political climate

County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 3.1–3.1 across tracts

3.1

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 3.8–3.8 across tracts

3.8

Rent control risk

48% of income on rent · Range 4.5–4.5 across tracts

4.5

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 1.9–1.9 across tracts

1.9

Tenant organizing strength

47% renter households · Range 8.6–8.6 across tracts

8.6

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 5.9–5.9 across tracts

5.9

Economic stress

17.7% below poverty line · Range 4.4–4.4 across tracts

4.4

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 3.1–3.1 across tracts

3.1

Risk score comparison

Forest Hills vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Census tracts

1 tracts in Forest Hills

Ranked highest-risk first. Click for per-tract detail.

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
37035010600	4.7	6,750	47%	$849

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 86

Pop-weighted across 1 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 75%ile

Poverty, unemployment, no-HS-diploma, housing cost burden

Household characteristics 92%ile

Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+

Racial/ethnic minority 56%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 82%ile

Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in Forest Hills

Aggregated across 1 validated constituent tract. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

2,066Total filings (sum)
12.54%Avg annual filing rate
15.4%Peak year (2002)
8.74%Latest filed (2018)

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in Forest Hills

Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.

11.6%Housing insecurity
7.6%Utility shutoff threat
14.7%Food insecurity
11.7%SNAP enrollment
10.7%No health insurance
33.2%Any disability

Frequently asked

About Forest Hills

What is the eviction-risk score for Forest Hills?

Forest Hills scores 4.7/10 (Moderate tier) across 1 census tracts. The pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score blends state law, county filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income and poverty signals.

How does Forest Hills compare to Hickory overall?

Forest Hills scores 2.3 points higher than Hickory overall (2.4/10). Renters spend 48% of income on rent vs 26% citywide. Average rent: $849 vs $1,063.

What is the average rent in Forest Hills?

Average gross rent in Forest Hills is $849/month (pop-weighted across 1 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 48% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Forest Hills residents are renters?

47% of Forest Hills households are renter-occupied (vs 45% in Hickory). The neighborhood has 6,750 residents.

Is Forest Hills a high social-vulnerability area?

Forest Hills sits in the 86th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (highly vulnerable). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.

How safe is Forest Hills for landlords?

Forest Hills carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (4.7/10). Pop-weighted across 1 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Hickory as a whole (2.4/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Forest Hills?

Forest Hills has 6,906 residents (Diverse Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (57.4%), Black (non-Hispanic) (18.3%), Hispanic / Latino (12.3%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Forest Hills

3.6 North Hickory 2 tracts · pop 9,003 4.2 The Cedars 2 tracts · pop 8,823 4.9 Sweetwater 2 tracts · pop 6,940

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Hickory

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Forest Hills.

4.7 Green Park 1 tracts · pop 2,276 4.8 Sweetwater 2 tracts · pop 6,940 4.8 Claremont 1 tracts · pop 5,554 4.1 The Cedars 2 tracts · pop 8,823 3.7 North Hickory 2 tracts · pop 9,003 6 Kenworth 1 tracts · pop 3,136

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