Population 10,109 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Forest
Household size in Forest
| Period | Forest | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.33 | 2.41 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.83 | 2.39 | 2.72 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.29 | 2.33 | 2.69 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.77 | 2.33 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.44 | −0.08 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Forest holds 2.77 people, slightly more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.33, even as the national average fell. Of Buffalo's 38 neighborhoods, only three 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 Forest
| Period | Forest | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.8 | 40.4 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 27.4 | 41.2 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 30.5 | 41.9 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 29.1 | 42.0 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.8 | +1.6 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
Forest is young: half of its residents are under 29.1, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. The median age has dropped from 31.8 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. Only one other Buffalo neighborhood is younger.
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 Forest
| Period | Forest | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.1% | 11.7% | 13.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.7% | 12.1% | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 19.2% | 11.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.9% | 11.5% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −0.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Forest: 17.9% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is down 2.2 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Forest
Renters in Forest
| Period | Forest | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 66.1% | 32.9% | 44.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 63.3% | 33.8% | 46.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 61.6% | 34.3% | 46.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 64.2% | 33.2% | 45.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | +0.3 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Forest: 64.2% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. More than half of owners (53.7%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the southwest; owners are most common in the southeast. The renter share has fallen 2.0 points since 2006–10, 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 Forest
| Period | Forest | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.1% | 10.6% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.1% | 10.3% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.6% | 10.0% | 11.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.5% | 8.4% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −2.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 17.5% of the housing in Forest, 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. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 4.6 points, mirroring the country.
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 Forest
| Period | Forest | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1938 | 1957 | 1956 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1938 | 1958 | 1957 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1939 | 1958 | 1958 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1940 | 1960 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +3 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Forest is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1940, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the east has the oldest housing.
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 Forest
| Period | Forest | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $717 | $728 | $1,095 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $759 | $783 | $1,201 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $871 | $873 | $1,426 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,188 | $1,126 | $1,794 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$471 | +$398 | +$698 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Forest costs $1,188 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Locally, though, rents here are higher than in the wider Buffalo area ($1,126). Rent has climbed $471 a month since 2006–10, up 66%, roughly in step with the nation. Rent takes 35.1% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Forest
Bachelor's degrees in Forest
| Period | Forest | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.6% | 27.6% | 31.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 33.8% | 29.6% | 33.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.8% | 32.3% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 39.8% | 35.6% | 39.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +16.1 pts | +8.0 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
About four in ten adults 25 and older in Forest (39.8%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 16.1 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the north.
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 Forest
| Period | Forest | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 74.5% | 88.2% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 74.3% | 89.8% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.5% | 91.2% | 86.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.8% | 91.9% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +11.3 pts | +3.7 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Forest never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 11.3 points, as it has nationally.
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 Forest
| Period | Forest | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.2% | 8.0% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 8.5% | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.3% | 4.8% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 5.4% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −11.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.2%, unemployment in Forest is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 11.0 points, a much bigger shift than 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).
Forest compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest | 2.77 | 29.1 | 17.9% | 64.2% | 17.5% | 1940 | $1,188 | 39.8% | 85.8% | 5.2% |
| Grant Ferry | 2.47 | 31.8 | 18.1% | 59.7% | 18.7% | 1940 | $1,272 | 37.1% | 86.1% | 5.5% |
| Albright | 2.01 | 30.7 | 6.5% | 49.5% | 6.7% | 1938 | $1,285 | 70.2% | 97.9% | 2.2% |
| Black Rock | 2.38 | 35.5 | 17.0% | 78.4% | 13.9% | 1940 | $947 | 17.0% | 79.5% | 6.4% |
| Delaware-West Ferry | 1.87 | 39.3 | 4.4% | 53.8% | 8.1% | 1939 | $1,135 | 66.0% | 97.6% | 6.5% |
| Front Park | 2.40 | 32.6 | 18.0% | 63.0% | 17.4% | 1940 | $1,091 | 35.5% | 75.7% | 7.0% |
| Bryant | 1.55 | 42.2 | 4.2% | 74.0% | 10.0% | 1938 | $1,072 | 51.6% | 93.6% | 9.9% |
| Park Meadow | 1.85 | 39.6 | 12.8% | 55.3% | 10.1% | 1948 | $1,273 | 65.4% | 97.4% | 9.7% |
| Military | 2.47 | 34.7 | 33.5% | 63.4% | 8.2% | 1957 | $1,028 | 24.0% | 89.3% | 4.7% |
| Allen | 1.69 | 36.3 | 7.6% | 67.0% | 11.8% | 1938 | $1,175 | 62.2% | 96.9% | 4.9% |
| Hamlin Park | 2.55 | 32.0 | 25.3% | 44.0% | 10.9% | 1939 | $1,192 | 28.6% | 86.8% | 7.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Downtown Troy, Troy, NY · I-435 West KC-KS, Kansas City, KS · Northland Lyceum, Rochester, NY · Port Gardner, Everett, WA · Riviera, Coral Gables, FL · Song, Irving, TX · King, Ann Arbor, MI · Sorrento Valley, San Diego, CA · Turner, Kansas City, KS · Hatchville, East Falmouth, MA
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 Forest. 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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