City profile · Arkansas · Census ACS 2023

Forrest City, AR

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Forrest City - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

12,826
Residents
$33,522
Median income
$87,800
Median home
$923
Median rent (state)

Forrest City - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Forrest City lands in the 4th percentile for household income and the 7th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

4th
percentile, household income
6th
percentile, home value
7th
percentile, median rent
7th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Forrest City, AR

12,826 people live in Forrest City, Arkansas - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Forrest City brings in $33,522 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 31.5%. Forrest City's housing stock carries a median value of $87,800, and the median resident age is 36.2 years. Educational attainment runs 11.7% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 35.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 2 residential building permits were authorized in Forrest City (Low Activity), per Census BPS data. Forrest City's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 4030.2 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Living costs in Arkansas run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Arkansas at 86.9 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $923 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Arkansas run around $210, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 74.7 out of 100 (High).

Population

12,826 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Arkansas

Median Household Income

$33,522 /yr

Poverty 31.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

86.9 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Arkansas average

How does Forrest City compare to other US cities?

Where Forrest City sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 4% higher than other cities
Home value 6% pricier than other cities
Median rent 7% pricier than other cities
Safety 7% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Arkansas, Forrest City ranks #144 of 160 Arkansas cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Forrest City's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Arkansas, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

4thIncome percentile
7thSafety percentile

4th percentile nationally for median household income · 7th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Forrest City's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Forrest City's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 35 Avg. percentile National median
Forrest City's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Forrest City's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$87,800 Among the most affordable more affordable than 94% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Above this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Forrest City $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Forrest City, AR Forrest City, AR's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Forrest City, AR-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Forrest City, AR median $33,522/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Forrest City, AR's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Forrest City, AR. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 11.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 31.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 35.0%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
12,826
Median Income
$33,522
Median Home Value
$87,800
Median Age
36.2
Poverty Rate
31.5%
Labor force participation
35.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
11.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
4030.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
1175.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2854.4
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
12,000 residents12,500 residents13,000 residents13,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 12,977 residents 12,308 residents ▼ -5.2%
Forrest City's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Low Activity
Total Permits (2024)
2
housing units authorized
Single-Family
2
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 0
2020 2
2021 9
2022 0
2023 1
2024 2

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
81.2%
Carpool
12.5%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.5%
Work from Home
2.6%
Other
1.2%

Based on 3,484 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Arkansas - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$110
avg/month
Natural Gas
$58
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$210
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Arkansas state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Arkansas state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Forrest City sits in

Cost of Living Index
86.9
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$923/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
74.7 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Arkansas

Mountain Home
13,021 people
Blytheville
13,026 people
Harrison
13,217 people
Marion
13,641 people
Batesville
11,385 people
Magnolia
10,973 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Forrest City's 12,826 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Stony Brook, NY
12,827 people
Santa Fe, TX
12,828 people
Cheney, WA
12,830 people
Timberlake, VA
12,833 people
West Monroe, LA
12,837 people
Solana Beach, CA
12,841 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Forrest City's $33,522 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Kaibab Estates West, AZ
$33,520 median income
South Alamo, TX
$33,516 median income
Rayville, MO
$33,511 median income
McKees Rocks, PA
$33,510 median income
Cottonport, LA
$33,538 median income
Barrelville, MD
$33,542 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Forrest City, AR Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Forrest City, AR - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 23.2% 73.9% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 4.1% White 23.2% Black or African American 73.9% Asian 0.1% American Indian 0.4% Native Hawaiian 0.5% Some other race 0.1% Two or more races 1.7% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Forrest City compares to nearby Arkansas cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Forrest City (this city) 12,826 $33,522
Mountain Home 13,021 $42,103
Blytheville 13,026 $49,928
Harrison 13,217 $40,568
Census ACS 5-year FIPS AR FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Forrest City, AR?

What is the population of Forrest City, AR? +

Forrest City, AR has a population of 12,826 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Forrest City, AR? +

In Forrest City, the typical household earns $33,522 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Forrest City? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Forrest City; the closest available measure is the Arkansas state average, a cost of living index of 86.9 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Arkansas vary by metro area.

Is Forrest City, AR safe? +

Forrest City has a total crime rate of 4030.2 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Forrest City, AR? +

The median home value in Forrest City is $87,800, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.