Population 245 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Forbush
Household size in Forbush
| Period | Forbush | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.24 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.30 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.21 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.26 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.02 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Forbush are small: just 2.26 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home.
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 Forbush
| Period | Forbush | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.1 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.2 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 52.1 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 48.8 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.7 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Forbush skews older: half of its residents are older than 48.8, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 46.1 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Forbush
| Period | Forbush | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 2.8% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.2% of households in Forbush, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Forbush
Renters in Forbush
| Period | Forbush | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.0% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.1% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Forbush own their homes; 27.5% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. That is in line with the rest of Iowa. More than four in ten owners (45.3%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Forbush
| Period | Forbush | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.9% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.4% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 26.0% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Forbush: 21.0% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 Forbush
| Period | Forbush | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1958 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1972 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +15 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Forbush run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1973 against 1980. That is in line with the rest of Iowa.
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 Forbush
| Period | Forbush | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $538 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $634 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $678 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $738 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$199 | +$351 | +$606 |
The median renter in Forbush pays $738 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 21.5% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Forbush
Bachelor's degrees in Forbush
| Period | Forbush | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.2% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.0% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.4% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.5% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.3 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Forbush: 24.5% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
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 Forbush
| Period | Forbush | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.1% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.3% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.0% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over nine in ten adults in Forbush have finished high school (93.0%), above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Iowa.
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 Forbush
| Period | Forbush | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.7% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.9% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Forbush has been strong: just 1.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Forbush 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forbush | 2.26 | 48.8 | 7.2% | 27.5% | 21.0% | 1973 | $738 | 24.5% | 93.0% | 1.9% |
| Centerville | 2.23 | 44.0 | 10.0% | 40.2% | 14.0% | 1957 | $783 | 19.8% | 89.6% | 3.2% |
| Thirty | 2.40 | 43.8 | 9.5% | 26.9% | 13.2% | 1971 | $771 | 22.3% | 89.6% | 4.5% |
| Sunshine | 3.08 | 30.5 | 16.8% | 28.9% | 14.7% | 1948 | $1,012 | 17.5% | 83.5% | 1.7% |
| Rathbun | 2.21 | 54.9 | 8.9% | 5.5% | 35.5% | 1986 | $776 | 25.7% | 92.0% | 4.2% |
| Darbyville | 2.44 | 36.5 | 13.3% | 37.6% | 4.4% | 1966 | $775 | 17.3% | 86.4% | 6.9% |
| Udell | 2.41 | 47.9 | 5.6% | 20.1% | 19.0% | 1976 | $721 | 26.7% | 94.9% | 1.6% |
| Mystic | 2.36 | 39.0 | 9.4% | 19.8% | 21.1% | 1944 | $686 | 16.2% | 86.6% | 7.2% |
| Walnut City | 2.19 | 55.5 | 9.1% | 4.5% | 36.8% | 1987 | $780 | 25.7% | 91.8% | 4.4% |
| Exline | 2.28 | 51.3 | 11.9% | 17.7% | 18.8% | 1971 | $925 | 22.0% | 80.9% | 7.4% |
| Moravia | 2.54 | 40.4 | 7.8% | 15.7% | 20.5% | 1976 | $746 | 18.0% | 93.6% | 5.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Moorefield, KY · Lula, LA · Luray, OH · Lurgan, PA · Macfarlan, WV · Maggie, VA · Magnet, NE · Maidstone, VT · Marvin, VA · Maryknoll, MO
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 Forbush. 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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