Population 5,107 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Forest City
Household size in Forest City
| Period | Forest City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.28 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.21 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.18 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.25 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Forest City is a place of small households, averaging 2.25 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the west.
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 City
| Period | Forest City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.4 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.9 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.9 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.0 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 36.0, Forest City is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. The median age has dropped from 38.4 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. The youngest areas are in the north, 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 Forest City
| Period | Forest City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.0% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.7% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in Forest City (10.7%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 3.3 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 City
Renters in Forest City
| Period | Forest City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.8% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.9% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.0% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.2% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Forest City is about as common as it is nationally: 34.2% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Iowa as a whole (28.3%). Nearly half of owners (47.2%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 5.4 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 City
| Period | Forest City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.4% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.9% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.7% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Forest City as nationally: 8.7%, against 9.6%. Vacancy has barely moved since 2006–10, while 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 Forest City
| Period | Forest City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1964 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1966 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1966 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +6 | +6 |
Forest City is a place of older homes: half were built before 1966, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the northwest 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 City
| Period | Forest City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $471 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $506 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $584 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $728 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$257 | +$351 | +$606 |
The median renter in Forest City pays $728 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $257 a month from 2006–10, a 55% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 22.5% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the northeast and lowest 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 Forest City
Bachelor's degrees in Forest City
| Period | Forest City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.8% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.3% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 27.9% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than a quarter of adults 25 and older in Forest City (27.9%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 3.1 points since 2006–10, 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 Forest City
| Period | Forest City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.0% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.1% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.0% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.0% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Forest City: 95.0% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 4.0 points since 2006–10, 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 City
| Period | Forest City | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.4% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.6% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Forest City has been low: just 2.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 3.6 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. 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).
Forest City 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest City | 2.25 | 36.0 | 10.7% | 34.2% | 8.7% | 1966 | $728 | 27.9% | 95.0% | 2.6% |
| Miller | 2.15 | 51.9 | 8.5% | 11.4% | 6.4% | 1971 | $1,121 | 23.1% | 89.7% | 2.3% |
| Leland | 2.46 | 41.6 | 6.6% | 15.2% | 7.4% | 1951 | $753 | 26.3% | 92.2% | 1.8% |
| Hayfield | 2.34 | 44.1 | 9.4% | 14.1% | 12.4% | 1973 | $685 | 17.7% | 92.5% | 0.0% |
| Crystal Lake | 2.06 | 46.1 | 2.0% | 10.6% | 10.1% | 1964 | $867 | 18.1% | 93.1% | 0.3% |
| Fertile | 2.20 | 53.0 | 5.7% | 9.8% | 9.7% | 1956 | $820 | 25.1% | 95.8% | 1.5% |
| Thompson | 1.96 | 53.0 | 11.9% | 16.4% | 16.4% | 1950 | $713 | 32.4% | 92.2% | 2.9% |
| Duncan | 2.37 | 44.6 | 7.9% | 12.8% | 11.1% | 1967 | $700 | 15.8% | 92.0% | 0.2% |
| Garner | 2.18 | 48.5 | 10.5% | 18.3% | 4.4% | 1969 | $817 | 20.8% | 90.6% | 2.0% |
| Lake Mills | 2.12 | 48.2 | 9.3% | 31.6% | 9.7% | 1961 | $670 | 22.0% | 94.0% | 2.4% |
| Joice | 2.45 | 42.9 | 5.6% | 10.9% | 12.3% | 1939 | $940 | 23.1% | 94.6% | 0.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: East Earl, PA · South Grafton, MA · South Glastonbury, CT · South Brooksville, FL · Dyersville, IA · Eagar, AZ · South Bay, FL · South Barrington, IL · Eagle, WI · Early, TX
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 City. 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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