Forest City, IA

Census Place

Add Comparison

2024 Population

4,290

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

34.4

7.5% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

12.4%

32.1% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$69,205

9.99% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$143,500

5.21% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

2,178

2.98% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Forest City, IA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

94.9% of the residents in Forest City, IA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Forest City, IA are Waldorf University (974 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Forest City, IA was $143,500, and the homeownership rate was 66.7%.

Most people in Forest City, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 12.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Forest City, IA was 2 cars per household.

United States Iowa Hancock County, IA Winnebago County, IA Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Kossuth, Hancock, Winnebago, Mitchell & Worth Counties PUMA, IA

Population & Diversity

Forest City, IA is home to a population of 4.29k people, from which 94.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 6.81% of Forest City, IA residents were born outside of the country (292 people).

In 2024, there were 18.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (3.74k people) in Forest City, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 199 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 137 Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

94.9%

2024 Citizenship

97.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 94.9% of Forest City, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Forest City, IA was 97.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Forest City, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Forest City, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
3.74k ± 242
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
199 ± 92
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
137 ± 5

3.4%

Hispanic Population

146 people

3.4% of the people in Forest City, IA are hispanic (146 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Forest City, IA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Iowa.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
42,808 ± 5,046 people
India
12,283 ± 2,716 people
China
7,889 ± 2,178 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 42,808 Iowa residents, followed by India with 12,283 and China with 7,889.

Foreign-Born Population

6.81%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

292 people

2023 Foreign-Born Population

257 people

As of 2024, 6.81% of Forest City, IA residents (292 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Forest City, IA was 6%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Forest City, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
72 ± 47
Gulf War (2001-)
23 ± 31
Gulf War (1990s)
13 ± 18

Forest City, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.13 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Forest City, IA.

Economy

The economy of Forest City, IA employs 2.18k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Forest City, IA were Educational Services (461 people), Manufacturing (427 people), and Retail Trade (319 people), and the highest paying industries were Transportation & Warehousing ($56,572), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($56,288), and Educational Services ($53,980).

Employment

Occupations

2.18k

2024 Value

± 302

−2.98%

1 Year decline

± 19.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Forest City, IA declined at a rate of −2.98%, from 2.25k employees to 2.18k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Forest City, IA, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (319 people), Production Occupations (294 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (227 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Forest City, IA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Iowa (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

2.18k

2024 Value

± 302

−2.98%

1 Year decline

± 19.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Forest City, IA declined at a rate of −2.98%, from 2.25k employees to 2.18k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Forest City, IA, are Educational Services (461 people), Manufacturing (427 people), and Retail Trade (319 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Forest City, IA, though some of these residents may live in Forest City, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,135

Median earning men ± $5,297

$34,365

Median earning women ± $9,812

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($56,307), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($54,866), and Construction ($46,510).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Retail Trade ($50,116), Manufacturing ($49,375), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($38,529).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Y-Axis

1.48%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.57M people employed in Iowa. This represents a 1.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Iowa.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing the state of Iowa. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Forest City, IA. Showing the available data for Iowa.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (55.7%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (42.5%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.789%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Iowa for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Iowa

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Chuck Grassley

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 1981

Joni Ernst

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing Iowa.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Iowa over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Forest City, IA awarded 974 degrees. The student population of Forest City, IA in 2023 is skewed towards men, with 1,639 male students and 1,018 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Forest City, IA are White (442 and 46.5%), Unknown (348 and 36.6%), Black or African American (92 and 9.67%), and Hispanic or Latino (29 and 3.05%).

The largest universities in Forest City, IA by number of degrees awarded are Waldorf University (974 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Forest City, IA are Organizational Leadership (139 and 14.3%), Occupational Safety & Health Technology (127 and 13%), and General Business (114 and 11.7%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Forest City, IA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 72.6%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 24%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 2,657 (61.7% men and 38.3% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 2,657 students enrolled in Forest City, IA, 61.7% men and 38.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,344 records, of which 37.3% were women and 62.7% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Occupational Safety & Health Technology
103 degrees awarded
General Psychology
76 degrees awarded
General Business
114 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Forest City, IA was Occupational Safety & Health Technology with 103 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Forest City, IA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Waldorf University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

974 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Waldorf University with 974 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 618 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Forest City, IA, which is 1.74 times more than the 356 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 442 degrees mean that there were 1.27 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 348 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($23,800) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,420) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,460) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Forest City, IA was $143,500 in 2024, which is 0.431 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $136,400 to $143,500, a 5.21% increase. The homeownership rate in Forest City, IA is 66.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Forest City, IA have an average commute time of 12.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Forest City, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$143,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$21,365

$1,102

Median Property Taxes

±$191

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Forest City, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Forest City, IA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

66.7%

Homeownership

2024

59.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 66.7% of the housing units in Forest City, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 72.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Forest City, IA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$69,205

Median Household Income

± $16,191

1.65k

Number of Households

± 260

In 2024, the median household income of the 1.65k households in Forest City, IA grew to $69,205 from the previous year's value of $62,917.

The following chart displays the households in Forest City, IA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $100k - $125k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Forest City, IA is from Iowa.

0.441

2023 Wage GINI in Iowa

0.442

2022 Wage GINI in Iowa

In 2023, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.441 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.304% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Iowa in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Iowa across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (75.1%)
Walked (8.54%)
Carpooled (7.14%)

In 2024, 75.1% of workers in Forest City, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (8.54%) and those who carpooled to work (7.14%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

12.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Forest City, IA have a shorter commute time (12.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.497% of the workforce in Forest City, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Forest City, IA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Forest City, IA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Forest City, IA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Forest City, IA (472 out of 3.81k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 25 - 34, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Forest City, IA is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

95% of the population of Forest City, IA has health coverage, with 54.4% on employee plans, 17.9% on Medicaid, 12.6% on Medicare, 10.1% on non-group plans, and 0% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Iowa see 1,385 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,385 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1411 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 466 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 54% were men and 46% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 27.2% under 18 years, 24.7% between 18 and 34 years, 31.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 54% were men and 46% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

Uninsured

54.4%

Employer Coverage

17.9%

Medicaid

12.6%

Medicare

10.1%

Non-Group

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Forest City, IA grew by 22.8% from 4.07% to 5%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Forest City, IA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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