Population 9,422 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Forestdale
Household size in Forestdale
| Period | Forestdale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.49 | 2.56 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.60 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.41 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.53 | 2.57 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | +0.01 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Forestdale run a little small, averaging 2.53 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.49, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the center.
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 Forestdale
| Period | Forestdale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.4 | 37.9 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.8 | 39.1 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.4 | 39.9 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.9 | 40.0 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.5 | +2.1 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Forestdale is 43.9 years old, older than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 40.4, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the west, the oldest in the northeast.
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 Forestdale
| Period | Forestdale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.7% | 12.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.1% | 12.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 16.3% | 11.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.7% | 12.0% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | −8.0 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Forestdale than nationally: 12.7%, against 11.6%. The Birmingham area as a whole looks much the same. The single-parent share is down 8.0 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 Forestdale
Renters in Forestdale
| Period | Forestdale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.2% | 27.9% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.5% | 30.4% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.7% | 30.6% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.5% | 29.2% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +14.4 pts | +1.3 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Forestdale is about as common as it is nationally: 32.5% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in the Birmingham area overall (29.2%). Among homeowners, 36.9% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. The renter share is up 14.4 points from 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 Forestdale
| Period | Forestdale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 12.5% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.5% | 12.8% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.5% | 13.6% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.3% | 11.6% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.0 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Forestdale as nationally: 9.3%, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in the Birmingham area overall (11.6%).
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 Forestdale
| Period | Forestdale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1979 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1981 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1982 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1984 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | −3 | +5 | +6 | +6 |
Forestdale is a place of older homes: half were built before 1968, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Of the 186 Alabama cities with 5,000+ people, only eight have older homes.
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 Forestdale
| Period | Forestdale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $728 | $827 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $874 | $903 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $798 | $984 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,278 | $1,238 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$550 | +$412 | +$375 | +$606 |
Rent in Forestdale runs $1,278 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $550 a month from 2006–10, a 76% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 28.3% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the center and lowest in the southeast.
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 Forestdale
Bachelor's degrees in Forestdale
| Period | Forestdale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.7% | 28.3% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.7% | 29.1% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.3% | 31.1% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.1% | 34.7% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.4 pts | +6.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Forestdale than nationally: 28.1% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 7.4 points, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the south.
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 Forestdale
| Period | Forestdale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.5% | 85.7% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.2% | 86.8% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.4% | 88.9% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.7% | 90.5% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.2 pts | +4.9 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Forestdale have finished high school (91.7%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across the Birmingham area. The share with a diploma has risen 5.2 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 Forestdale
| Period | Forestdale | Birmingham area | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.7% | 8.0% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 9.2% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.4% | 5.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 4.4% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | −3.6 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Forestdale is close to the national rate: 5.0% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 2.7 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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).
Forestdale 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forestdale | 2.53 | 43.9 | 12.7% | 32.5% | 9.3% | 1968 | $1,278 | 28.1% | 91.7% | 5.0% |
| Docena | 2.62 | 34.7 | 13.5% | 2.1% | 21.6% | 1973 | $1,252 | 17.0% | 97.9% | 0.0% |
| Adamsville | 2.65 | 41.9 | 15.3% | 20.6% | 16.5% | 1969 | $1,371 | 16.6% | 86.7% | 3.0% |
| Brookside | 2.51 | 39.8 | 18.0% | 35.1% | 8.6% | 1977 | $864 | 17.0% | 88.0% | 2.7% |
| McDonald Chapel | 2.88 | 33.1 | 19.1% | 48.7% | 39.3% | 1960 | $1,066 | 12.0% | 89.5% | 28.9% |
| Bayview | 2.88 | 41.6 | 15.2% | 29.8% | 25.0% | 1944 | $768 | 7.3% | 73.3% | 5.1% |
| Fultondale | 2.27 | 37.4 | 20.4% | 35.9% | 7.4% | 1985 | $1,227 | 29.1% | 91.3% | 2.6% |
| Graysville | 2.37 | 41.4 | 12.1% | 36.9% | 13.9% | 1962 | $1,111 | 17.1% | 88.3% | 4.3% |
| Maytown | 3.07 | 45.1 | 6.8% | 12.4% | 11.3% | 1974 | $1,161 | 10.8% | 92.6% | 4.3% |
| Fairfield | 2.53 | 34.8 | 31.4% | 43.5% | 19.9% | 1961 | $1,041 | 20.5% | 91.9% | 4.7% |
| Mount Olive | 2.60 | 40.5 | 6.4% | 14.5% | 8.9% | 1985 | $1,170 | 26.4% | 90.2% | 1.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: North Valley, NM · Moscow Mills, MO · Mount Horeb, WI · Mount Rainier, MD · Mullins, SC · Muncy, PA · Muskegon Heights, MI · Myrtle Creek, OR · Naranja, FL · Narragansett, RI
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 Forestdale. 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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