Population 15,917 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in DeForest
Household size in DeForest
| Period | DeForest | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.66 | 2.43 | 2.45 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.61 | 2.41 | 2.47 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.67 | 2.39 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.61 | 2.30 | 2.40 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.05 | −0.13 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
At 2.61 people per household, DeForest sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is bigger than in the wider Madison area, where it has 2.30 people. Household size has edged down from 2.66 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only 18 of the 200 Wisconsin cities with 5,000+ people have larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in DeForest
| Period | DeForest | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.4 | 37.0 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.2 | 37.9 | 39.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.8 | 38.3 | 40.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.7 | 38.9 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.2 | +1.9 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of DeForest is 41.7 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 35.4, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the southwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in DeForest
| Period | DeForest | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 8.7% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 8.8% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.3% | 8.0% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.0% | 8.2% | 9.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in DeForest as they are nationally: 11.0%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in the Madison area as a whole (8.2%). Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged down 0.9 points, in line with the national trend.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in DeForest
Renters in DeForest
| Period | DeForest | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.1% | 35.1% | 30.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.8% | 38.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.4% | 38.9% | 33.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 19.5% | 39.7% | 32.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | +4.5 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
DeForest is largely a place of homeowners: only 19.5% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly three in ten owners (28.5%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 1.7 points, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in DeForest
| Period | DeForest | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.8% | 8.9% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 3.0% | 6.3% | 10.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 5.7% | 10.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.1% | 5.5% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | −3.4 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 5.1% of homes in DeForest are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. That is in line with the rest of the Madison area. Vacancy has risen 2.3 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in DeForest
| Period | DeForest | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1988 | 1976 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1989 | 1978 | 1971 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1988 | 1979 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1993 | 1983 | 1974 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +7 | +5 | +6 |
DeForest has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1993, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1988 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the north. Only 18 of the 200 Wisconsin cities with 5,000+ people have newer homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in DeForest
| Period | DeForest | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $868 | $868 | $758 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $915 | $950 | $821 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,018 | $1,072 | $904 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,355 | $1,366 | $1,139 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$487 | +$498 | +$380 | +$606 |
The median renter in DeForest pays $1,355 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $487 a month from 2006–10, a 56% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 24.8% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the southeast; the most affordable are in the southwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in DeForest
Bachelor's degrees in DeForest
| Period | DeForest | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.8% | 41.3% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 36.2% | 43.6% | 28.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.7% | 46.9% | 30.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 42.1% | 50.6% | 33.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.4 pts | +9.3 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over four in ten adults 25 and older in DeForest (42.1%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the national share of 35.6%. Even so, the share is lower than in the Madison area overall (50.6%). Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 11.4 points, in line with the national trend.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in DeForest
| Period | DeForest | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.9% | 93.8% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.5% | 94.4% | 90.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.2% | 95.2% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.9% | 95.1% | 93.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +1.3 pts | +3.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in DeForest: 96.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 1.0 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. DeForest has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five Wisconsin cities.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in DeForest
| Period | DeForest | Madison area | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.0% | 5.0% | 6.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.0% | 5.5% | 7.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.2% | 2.6% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.0% | 2.6% | 3.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −2.4 pts | −3.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in DeForest has been low: just 2.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 2.0 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
DeForest compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeForest | 2.61 | 41.7 | 11.0% | 19.5% | 5.1% | 1993 | $1,355 | 42.1% | 96.9% | 2.0% |
| Windsor | 2.51 | 39.0 | 11.5% | 28.0% | 10.1% | 1999 | $1,482 | 45.1% | 95.4% | 2.0% |
| Morrisonville | 2.67 | 38.9 | 3.7% | 19.5% | 6.1% | 1982 | $1,261 | 40.1% | 98.4% | 0.4% |
| Norway Grove | 2.85 | 39.3 | 3.1% | 8.0% | 1.7% | 1985 | $1,200 | 46.5% | 97.4% | 2.2% |
| Sun Prairie | 2.47 | 37.8 | 9.9% | 35.6% | 3.3% | 1995 | $1,482 | 51.7% | 97.0% | 2.3% |
| North Leeds | 2.53 | 38.8 | 16.6% | 13.6% | 5.1% | 1938 | $1,213 | 22.6% | 98.1% | 0.3% |
| Waunakee | 2.63 | 42.3 | 9.8% | 23.5% | 4.7% | 1995 | $1,375 | 59.9% | 97.9% | 1.4% |
| North Bristol | 2.72 | 43.7 | 8.6% | 13.4% | 5.7% | 1979 | $1,545 | 42.1% | 96.1% | 1.2% |
| Arlington | 2.60 | 39.6 | 12.8% | 12.4% | 7.5% | 1973 | $1,265 | 27.3% | 98.2% | 2.2% |
| Maple Bluff | 2.43 | 45.2 | 5.1% | 15.4% | 7.1% | 1960 | $1,862 | 82.4% | 99.3% | 1.0% |
| Dane | 2.68 | 39.7 | 4.3% | 23.2% | 1.5% | 1975 | $1,002 | 28.4% | 96.8% | 1.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Lake Wylie, SC · Rocky Mount, VA · Robbinsdale, MN · Ridge, NY · Rice Lake, WI · Lynnfield, MA · Lovington, NM · Los Osos, CA · Lexington, VA · Lexington, TN
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up DeForest. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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