Population 225 · 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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.66 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.42 | 2.51 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.41 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.48 | 2.48 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.19 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Forest City run small, averaging 2.48 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. South Dakota as a whole looks much the same. Household size has dropped from 2.66 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.4 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 50.3 | 38.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 51.8 | 38.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.2 | 38.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.2 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Forest City skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.2, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.1% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 8.0% of households in Forest City, 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 Forest City
Renters in Forest City
| Period | Forest City | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.1% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 32.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.9% | 32.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 19.1% | 31.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | +0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Forest City is largely a place of homeowners: only 19.1% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About seven in ten owners (72.1%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.2% | 11.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 43.8% | 10.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 46.5% | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 42.3% | 10.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Forest City: 42.3% 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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1977 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +12 | +9 | +6 |
The typical home in Forest City was built around 1983, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980).
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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $352 | $631 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $502 | $692 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $508 | $798 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $973 | $1,000 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$621 | +$369 | +$606 |
Rent in Forest City runs $973 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. South Dakota as a whole looks much the same. Rent takes 16.8% 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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.4% | 26.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 27.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.6% | 29.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.5% | 32.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +13.1 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Forest City: 25.5% 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 Forest City
| Period | Forest City | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.2% | 89.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.8% | 91.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.8% | 91.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.5% | 93.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +15.3 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Forest City: 96.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.8% | 4.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.7% | 4.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 3.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.5% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Forest City than nationally: unemployment was 4.5%, against 5.4%. Even so, the rate is higher than in South Dakota as a whole (3.1%). 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 | 2.48 | 45.2 | 8.0% | 19.1% | 42.3% | 1983 | $973 | 25.5% | 96.5% | 4.5% |
| Sanner | 2.38 | 47.4 | 4.8% | 16.3% | 46.5% | 1982 | $1,008 | 25.5% | 97.6% | 3.5% |
| Cattron | 2.46 | 47.4 | 3.7% | 26.8% | 44.0% | 1985 | $827 | 22.9% | 96.9% | 1.5% |
| Gettysburg | 2.14 | 50.1 | 3.9% | 20.2% | 19.8% | 1968 | $1,029 | 27.9% | 95.3% | 2.7% |
| North Riverside | 2.41 | 44.6 | 3.5% | 17.7% | 41.9% | 1980 | $941 | 25.7% | 95.2% | 6.0% |
| Fayette | 2.42 | 43.6 | 3.0% | 18.0% | 40.2% | 1979 | $916 | 25.8% | 94.3% | 6.9% |
| Owattonna | 2.40 | 47.4 | 4.5% | 19.1% | 45.8% | 1983 | $959 | 24.8% | 97.4% | 2.9% |
| Agar | 2.52 | 47.4 | 2.8% | 34.8% | 42.0% | 1988 | $688 | 20.9% | 96.5% | 0.0% |
| Promise | 3.22 | 28.8 | 32.2% | 37.6% | 11.1% | 1991 | $685 | 24.2% | 88.0% | 13.8% |
| La Plant | 3.20 | 28.8 | 32.5% | 37.0% | 10.6% | 1992 | $711 | 25.5% | 88.4% | 12.0% |
| South Forest City | 2.70 | 42.5 | 10.6% | 35.5% | 33.7% | 1989 | $694 | 22.1% | 94.3% | 3.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: West Leipsic, OH · Limekiln, PA · Lincolnville, OH · Lippe, IN · Lisbon, LA · Lisco, NE · Lisman, KY · Little Britain, PA · Little Chicago, MN · Little Creek, 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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