City profile · Indiana · Census ACS 2023

Forest, IN

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

281
Residents
$68,300
Median home
$1,007
Median rent (state)

Forest - the verdict

281 people call Forest, Indiana home. Source: Census ACS.

2nd
percentile, home value
20th
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Forest, IN

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 281 residents in Forest, a small town within Indiana. Forest's housing stock carries a median value of $68,300, and the median resident age is 31.6 years. Educational attainment runs 0.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 60.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Living costs in Indiana run below the national norm: the state registers 93.3 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,007 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Indiana's average monthly utility costs around $235 (state average). Workers in Forest report an average commute of 26.7 minutes, with 100.0% driving alone and 0.0% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 30.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).

Population

281 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Indiana

Median Household Income

N/A /yr

Poverty 0.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

93.3 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Indiana average

How does Forest compare to other US cities?

Forest measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Home value 2% pricier than other cities
Median rent 20% pricier than other cities

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

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Forest against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Indiana only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Indiana-relative analysis

Poverty Rate places Forest near the bottom of Indiana's cities

Among the 849 Indiana cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Forest ranks #638 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Forest only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Gross Rent
#477 of 850
43rd percentile in Indiana
Median Home Value
#742 of 771
4th percentile in Indiana
Poverty Rate
#638 of 849
0th percentile in Indiana
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#776 of 850
0th percentile in Indiana

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Indiana only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

How Forest's home value compares nationally

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

$68,300 Among the most affordable more affordable than 98% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $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. Forest $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

Median household income is not available for Forest in the current Census ACS release (common for very small places).

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 0.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 60.9%

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

Population
281
Median Income
N/A
Median Home Value
$68,300
Median Age
31.6
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
60.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
0.0%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
26.7 minutes
Drive Alone
100.0%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
0.0%

Based on 103 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

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

Electricity
$110
avg/month
Natural Gas
$80
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$235
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Indiana 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 Indiana state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Forest sits in

Cost of Living Index
93.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,007/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
30.5 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Indiana

Hartsville
281 people
Switz City
281 people
Cloverland
279 people
Elizabethtown
283 people
Newport
283 people
Adams Lake
284 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Forest's 281 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Menifee, AR
281 people
Oil Trough, AR
281 people
Stanley, ID
281 people
Elk City, KS
281 people
Pleasant View, KY
281 people
Middle River, MN
281 people

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Forest, IN 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 Forest, IN - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 100.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0.0% White 100.0% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.0% Two or more races 0.0% 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 Forest compares to nearby Indiana cities

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

City Population Median Household Income
Forest (this city) 281 N/A
Hartsville 281 $66,875
Switz City 281 $44,375
Cloverland 279 $73,229
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IN OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Forest, IN?

What is the population of Forest, IN? +

Forest, IN counts 281 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the cost of living in Forest? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Forest; the closest available measure is the Indiana state average, a cost of living index of 93.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Indiana vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Forest, IN? +

A typical home in Forest is worth $68,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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

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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.