City profile · Oregon · Census ACS 2023

Forest Grove, OR

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

26,406
Residents
$81,998
Median income
$464,300
Median home
$1,425
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Forest Grove, OR

Forest Grove is a city in Oregon with a population of 26,406 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $81,998 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 8.7%. Typical homes in Forest Grove are valued around $464,300, and the median resident age is 34.6 years. About 31.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 61.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 149 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 55% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 1704.2 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 52.1°F with 46.7 inches of precipitation per year and 2.7 inches of snowfall.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Oregon registers 103.4 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,425 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $185 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 63.4 out of 100 (Moderate).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

26,406 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Oregon

Median Household Income

$81,998 /yr

Poverty 8.7%

Cost of Living Index

103.4 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Forest Grove compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 64% higher than other cities
Home value 83% pricier than other cities
Median rent 66% pricier than other cities
Safety 39% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Forest Grove against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Forest Grove, OR Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Forest Grove, OR. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Forest Grove, OR — median $81,998/yr — Census ACS quintile shares 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%
Household income distribution for Forest Grove, OR — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 31.7%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 8.7%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 61.0%

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

Population
26,406
Median Income
$81,998
Median Home Value
$464,300
Median Age
34.6
Poverty Rate
8.7%
Labor force participation
61.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
31.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1704.2
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
337.1
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
1367.1
per 1,000 residents

Climate

Avg Temperature
52.1°F
Annual Precipitation
46.7"
Annual Snowfall
2.7"

Schools

Total Schools
8
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
149
housing units authorized
Single-Family
145
detached homes
Multifamily
4
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
5.6
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 96
2020 89
2021 386
2022 155
2023 62
2024 149

Permit volume increased 55% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
67.5%
Carpool
8.8%
Public Transit
4.6%
Walk
6.8%
Work from Home
9.4%
Other
2.9%

Based on 12,647 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Oregon — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$85
avg/month
Natural Gas
$50
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$50
avg/month
Total Utilities
$185
estimated/month

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

Living Costs & Risk

Oregon state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
103.4
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,425/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
63.4 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Forest Grove, OR 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 Grove, OR — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% 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.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Forest Grove compares to nearby Oregon cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Forest Grove) plus the nearest peer cities in Oregon, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

OR

Forest Grove

82.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$81,998
Brackets
26
Selected

OR

Wilsonville

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,620
Brackets
26
Selected

OR

Woodburn

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,680
Brackets
27
Selected

OR

West Linn

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,710
Brackets
27
Census ACS 5-year FIPS OR FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Forest Grove, OR?

What is the population of Forest Grove, OR? +

Forest Grove, OR has a population of 26,406 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Forest Grove, OR? +

The median household income in Forest Grove is $81,998 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Forest Grove? +

Forest Grove has a cost of living index of 103.4 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Forest Grove, OR safe? +

Forest Grove has a total crime rate of 1704.2 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in Forest Grove, OR? +

The median home value in Forest Grove is $464,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Forest Grove? +

Forest Grove has an average annual temperature of 52.1°F, 46.7 inches of precipitation, and 2.7 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, 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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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