Population 400 · 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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.32 | 2.49 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.09 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.10 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.27 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.05 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Forest City are small: just 2.27 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 Forest City
| Period | Forest City | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.2 | 38.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 47.3 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 48.8 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 51.4 | 40.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.2 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Forest City skews older: half of its residents are older than 51.4, 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 45.2 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.9% | 11.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.7% | 11.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Forest City as they are nationally: 11.7%, against 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 Forest City
Renters in Forest City
| Period | Forest City | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.8% | 30.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.3% | 32.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.5% | 33.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.9% | 31.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Forest City own their homes; 24.9% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 70.9% have no mortgage at all, well 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 Forest City
| Period | Forest City | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.0% | 11.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.6% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 21.8% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.8% | 10.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Forest City: 19.8% 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 Forest City
| Period | Forest City | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1956 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1960 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1957 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1961 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Forest City is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1961, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $523 | $740 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $529 | $816 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $616 | $899 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $693 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$171 | +$383 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Forest City costs $693 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 19.6% 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 Forest City
Bachelor's degrees in Forest City
| Period | Forest City | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.0% | 26.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.2% | 27.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.1% | 29.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.1% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Forest City: 13.1% 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 Forest City
| Period | Forest City | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.1% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.9% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.5% | 90.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.3% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Forest City have finished high school (91.3%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Missouri as a whole looks much the same.
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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.4% | 7.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.0% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.4% | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.8% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Forest City has been low: just 2.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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 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 | 2.27 | 51.4 | 11.7% | 24.9% | 19.8% | 1961 | $693 | 13.1% | 91.3% | 2.8% |
| Napier | 2.20 | 54.9 | 12.2% | 26.5% | 21.8% | 1961 | $822 | 10.7% | 90.2% | 2.5% |
| Oregon | 2.36 | 47.0 | 11.4% | 23.5% | 14.7% | 1967 | $615 | 14.8% | 92.2% | 1.4% |
| New Point | 2.28 | 49.9 | 11.4% | 25.0% | 18.2% | 1950 | $586 | 13.8% | 91.9% | 5.2% |
| Iowa Point | 3.41 | 37.5 | 19.0% | 12.7% | 46.4% | 1970 | $530 | 23.6% | 88.4% | 1.5% |
| Fortescue | 2.30 | 56.9 | 9.3% | 20.2% | 40.2% | 1973 | $775 | 17.4% | 91.7% | 1.6% |
| White Cloud | 2.84 | 37.0 | 13.7% | 20.2% | 30.8% | 1971 | $572 | 27.5% | 93.1% | 0.8% |
| Mound City | 2.38 | 49.4 | 10.1% | 18.7% | 26.1% | 1966 | $702 | 25.5% | 94.5% | 0.7% |
| Big Lake | 2.44 | 59.1 | 5.2% | 12.2% | 64.4% | 1989 | $703 | 26.6% | 93.8% | 0.2% |
| Highland | 2.30 | 23.9 | 6.3% | 22.6% | 33.6% | 1951 | $611 | 32.7% | 90.6% | 2.6% |
| Sparks | 3.24 | 38.4 | 16.3% | 12.2% | 41.2% | 1965 | $544 | 23.5% | 88.5% | 1.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Kedron, WV · Knife River, MN · Kivalina, AK · Kingsbury, IN · King Hill, ID · Kimbles, PA · Killduff, IA · Killarney, GA · Kiana, AK · Kenton, DE
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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