Forest, VA Profile: Facts & Data

The primary coordinate point for Forest is located at latitude 37.3638 and longitude -79.2897 in Bedford County. The formal boundaries for the Forest Census Designated Place encompass a land area of 13.74 sq. miles and a water area of 0.12 sq. miles. Bedford County is in the Eastern time zone (GMT -5).

The Forest Census Designated Place has a U1 Census Class Code which indicates a census designated place with an official federally recognized name. It also has a Functional Status Code of "S" which identifies a statistical entity.

A Census Designated Place (CDP) is a statistical counterpart to a self-governing (incorporated) place such as a city, town, or village. A CDP is not a legal entity and has no governmental functions.

Forest, VA Data & Demographics (As of July 1, 2025)

POPULATION
Total Population	12,442 (100%)
Population in Households	12,366 (99.4%)
Population in Families	10,041 (80.7%)
Population in Group Quarters¹	76 ( 0.6%)
Population Density	914
Diversity Index²	39


INCOME
Median Household Income	$79,803
Average Household Income	$113,848
% of Income for Mortgage⁴	28%
Per Capita Income	$47,486
Wealth Index⁵	115
Socioeconomic Status Index⁶	Moderate (59.0)

HOUSING
Total HU (Housing Units)	5,408 (100%)
Owner Occupied HU	3,777 (69.8%)
Renter Occupied HU	1,411 (26.1%)
Vacant Housing Units	220 ( 4.1%)
Median Home Value	$362,585
Average Home Value	$409,222
Housing Affordability Index³	88

HOUSEHOLDS
Total Households	5,188
Average Household Size	2.38
Family Households	3,412
Average Family Size	3.00

NOTES

Group Quarters - a place where people live or stay in a group living arrangement. Includes college residents halls, nursing facilities, military barracks, and correctional facilities.
The Diversity Index is a scale of 0 to 100 that represents the likelihood that two persons, chosen at random from the same area, belong to different races or ethnic groups. If an area's entire population belongs to one race AND one ethnic group, then the area has zero diversity. An area's diversity index increases to 100 when the population is evenly divided into two or more race/ethnic groups.
The Housing Affordability Index base is 100 and represents a balance point where a resident with a median household income can normally qualify to purchase a median price home. Values above 100 indicate increased affordability, while values below 100 indicate decreased affordability.
The % of Income for Mortgage quantifies the percentage of median household income dedicated to mortgage payments on a home priced at the median value (assuming a 30-year mortgage and a 20% down payment).
The Wealth Index is based on a number of indicators of affluence including average household income and average net worth, but it also includes the value of material possessions and resources. It represents the wealth of the area relative to the national level. Values above or below 100 represent above-average wealth or below-average wealth compared to the national level.
The Socioeconomic Index ranges from zero (lowest relative status) to 100 (highest relative status). This measure quantifies disparities in social position of an area's inhabitants and is built from a broad range of demographic, housing, and socioeconomic inputs. More information on this measure can be found in Esri's SEI tutorial.

Forest, VA - Peer Comparisons by Rank and Percentile

The table below compares Forest to the other 688 incorporated cities, towns and CDPs in Virginia by rank and percentile using July 1, 2025 data. The location Ranked # 1 has the highest value. A location that ranks higher than 75% of its peers would be in the 75th percentile of the peer group.

GROWTH RATE / YEAR	2020-2025	2025-2030
Population	1.16%	0.60%
Households	1.52%	0.83%
Families		0.70%
Median Household Income		1.90%
Per Capita Income		2.66%
Owner Occupied HU		1.47%

Variable Description	Rank	Percentile
Total Population	# 110	84th
Population Density	# 278	60th
Median Household Income	# 277	60th
Housing Affordability Index	# 308	45th
Per Capita Income	# 206	70th
Diversity Index	# 440	36th

Forest, VA Profile: Facts & Data

Forest, Virginia - Basic Facts

Forest, VA Data & Demographics (As of July 1, 2025)

POPULATION

INCOME

HOUSING

HOUSEHOLDS

GROWTH RATE / YEAR

Forest, VA - Peer Comparisons by Rank and Percentile

Forest, VA - Most Popular Things to Do

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