Tool
Compare places
Put up to four U.S. cities, towns or census-designated places side by side on 29 figures: 22 measures from the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, each with its margin, and their 2025 population estimate, growth, density, new homes and housing costs against income. A filled square marks a figure that differs from the first place by more than both margins of error allow; without it, the survey cannot tell the two apart.
How do Forest City, IA compare?
| Figure | Forest City, IA |
|---|---|
| Residents, July 2025 (estimate) | 4,143 |
| Change since April 2020 | −3.2% |
| Residents counted in the 2020 Census | 4,285 |
| Residents per square mile (2020) | 934 |
| Homes permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 0.0 |
| Median home value ÷ median household income | 2.1 years of income |
| A year of median rent ÷ median income of all households (renters usually earn less) | 12.5% |
| Measure | Forest City, IA |
|---|---|
| Total population | 4,290±217 |
| Median age | 34.4±2.8 |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.4%±2.0 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 87.1%±2.9 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 4.6%±2.2 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 3.2%±0.2 pts |
| Born outside the United States | 6.8%±2.2 pts |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 29.2%±5.9 pts |
| Median household income | $69,205±$16,191 |
| Per capita income | $36,930±$7,317 |
| People below the poverty line | 12.4%±4.9 pts |
| Unemployment rate | 2.7%±2.5 pts |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $143,500±$21,365 |
| Median gross rent | $720±$23 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 30.0%±15.2 pts |
| Owner-occupied homes | 66.7%±6.9 pts |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.2%±1.6 pts |
| Worked from home | 6.0%±3.0 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 75.1%±7.3 pts |
| Public transportation | 0.2%±0.5 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 12.1 min±1.5 |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.0%±2.7 pts |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025; 2020 Census; Building Permits Survey 2025 · Check it at data.census.gov