Forest Hills

Caul Group Residential, brokered by eXp Realty

Welcome to Forest Hills, a 1920s neighborhood south of downtown Durham, laid out along Third Fork Creek with curving streets, large trees and a park at its center. This guide covers where it is, its history, the park, what the homes are like, recent sale prices and the assigned schools.

Forest Hills is a 1920s neighborhood south of downtown Durham, laid out along Third Fork Creek with curving streets, large trees and a park at its center. The Forest Hills Historic District, about 245 acres, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 (North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office). Durham County records show about 321 homes in the Forest Hills neighborhood, with a median of about 2,556 heated square feet. The 6 recorded sales from October 2025 through September 2026 had a median of $775,000.

Where Forest Hills is

Forest Hills is inside the City of Durham, in the 27707 ZIP code, about 1.4 miles by road from the American Tobacco Campus. University Drive and Forest Hills Boulevard are its main streets (Durham County property records).

Road distances from the center of the neighborhood (OpenStreetMap routing, November 2026):

• American Tobacco Campus: 1.4 miles
• Duke Chapel: 2.5 miles
• Duke University Hospital: 3.3 miles
• The Streets at Southpoint: 7.2 miles
• Research Triangle Park: 9.9 miles
• RDU Airport: 14.1 miles

A short history

The neighborhood was created from farmland along Third Fork Creek in the 1920s by the founders of the New Hope Realty Company. In the creek's flood plain they laid out a nine-hole golf course, a clubhouse and a pool. The current Colonial Revival clubhouse was built in 1928, and in 1938 the land and building were deeded to the City (Durham Parks and Recreation).

The historic district has a period of significance of 1923 to 1955. Its nomination counts 244 contributing houses built in those years, and the former golf clubhouse is the only nonresidential building (North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office).

Forest Hills Park

Forest Hills Park at 1639 University Drive is a 45.86-acre city park. It has a free sprayground open May through October, one of the city's seasonal outdoor pools, tennis courts with the first outdoor pickleball lines at a Durham Parks and Recreation site, a playground, a picnic shelter and greenway access (Durham Parks and Recreation).

Homes in Forest Hills

Across the 321 homes (Durham County property records, November 2026):

• Heated area: 1,416 square feet at the 10th percentile, 2,556 median, 4,230 at the 90th percentile
• Lot size: 0.17 acres at the 10th percentile, 0.37 median, 0.76 at the 90th percentile

The county parcel data used here does not include year built, so we rely on the historic district nomination for the age of the homes: most of the houses date from 1923 to 1955, and 59 were counted as noncontributing, nearly all built after 1955 (North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office).

Recent sale prices

Durham County records show 6 recorded sales from October 2025 through September 2026, with a median of $775,000, a low of $395,000 and a high of $1,550,000 (Durham County property records). With this few sales, one home can move the median a lot, so use these as a rough range.

HOA

We found no mandatory homeowners association for Forest Hills in county ownership records (Durham County property records). Check the deed and any recorded restrictions for a specific home.

The Forest Hills market right now

For the 27707 ZIP code, which covers a large part of southwest Durham, Redfin reports for the three months ending September 2026:

• Median sale price: $454,866, down 7.4% year over year
• Median days on market: 38, compared with 34 a year earlier
• Homes sold in September: 113, compared with 108 a year earlier
• Sale-to-list price: 97.9%
• Homes sold above list price: 15.3%
• Homes with a price drop: 39.3%

What it means: the 27707 median was down about 7% from a year ago, and about 39% of homes had a price drop. The ZIP mixes many neighborhoods and home types, and Forest Hills sells well above its median, so recent sales inside the neighborhood matter more.

Assigned schools

Durham Public Schools assigns by address. Of 50 sampled Forest Hills addresses, 31 were in the base zones for Morehead Elementary and Lakewood Middle and 19 for C C Spaulding Elementary and Githens Middle. All 50 were in the Jordan High base zone (Durham City-County GIS). Check a specific address with the Durham address lookup.

Things to do nearby

• The pool, sprayground and courts at Forest Hills Park.
• The American Tobacco Campus and Durham Performing Arts Center, about 1.4 miles away.
• Duke University and Duke Chapel, about 2.5 miles away.
• The American Tobacco Trail.

Buying in Forest Hills: what to check

• Age and condition of systems in a home that may be close to 100 years old.
• Foundation, crawl space and drainage, especially near Third Fork Creek.
• Flood zone status for lots near the creek.
• Whether the home is contributing in the historic district.
• School assignment by exact address.

See our buyer services page for how we help buyers.

Selling in Forest Hills: what buyers ask about

• Recent comparable sales, which are few.
• Updates to the kitchen, baths and major systems.
• Original details that have been kept.
• Walking distance to Forest Hills Park.
• Drive times to Duke, downtown Durham and RTP.

See how we sell homes, or start with a home value estimate.

Forest Hills FAQs

Where is Forest Hills in Durham?

Forest Hills is south of downtown Durham along Third Fork Creek, in ZIP 27707, about 1.4 miles by road from the American Tobacco Campus.

How many homes are in Forest Hills?

Durham County records show about 321 homes in the Forest Hills neighborhood.

What do homes in Forest Hills cost?

Durham County records show 6 sales from October 2025 through September 2026, with a median of $775,000 and a range of $395,000 to $1,550,000.

Is Forest Hills a historic district?

Yes. The Forest Hills Historic District, about 245 acres, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, with a period of significance of 1923 to 1955.

What is in Forest Hills Park?

The 45.86-acre park has a free sprayground open May through October, a seasonal outdoor pool, tennis courts with pickleball lines, a playground, a picnic shelter and greenway access.

Is there an HOA in Forest Hills?

We found no mandatory homeowners association in county records. Check the deed and recorded restrictions for a specific home.

Which schools serve Forest Hills?

Sampled addresses were zoned for Morehead Elementary and Lakewood Middle or C C Spaulding Elementary and Githens Middle, and all for Jordan High. Confirm any address with the Durham address lookup.

Thinking of selling in Forest Hills?

Forest Hills homes range from small cottages to large 1920s and 1930s houses on big lots, and few sell each year. With so few sales, pricing takes careful comparable work from Forest Hills and nearby neighborhoods. We price from recent sales of similar homes.

Caul Group Residential is the #1 Resale Team in the Triangle. Our office is at 201 Shannon Oaks Circle, Suite 200, Cary, NC 27511. RealTrends Verified 2026 (based on 2025 sales) ranks our team, "Caul Team," #1 in Raleigh by sides and by volume. See the RealTrends profile. We have 5.0 stars on Zillow from 1,200+ reviews (Oct 2026). Read the reviews.

• Get your Forest Hills home value. Start here.
• Buying in Forest Hills? See how we help buyers.
• Selling in Forest Hills? See how we sell homes.
• Talk with a Caul Group agent about Forest Hills. Call (919) 263-7653 or send us a message.

More on the area: Durham, Hope Valley, Trinity Park, Woodcroft and Downtown Durham.