Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 4,143, settled in 1855.
Yes, by almost any measure. Forest City earns an A+, ranked 14th of 140 in Iowa. Homes are within reach, about $180K for a typical one, or 2.7 years of the county’s $68K median household income, its schools rank ahead of 79% of Iowa towns, and it is more walkable than 88% of U.S. towns. Its lowest mark, a C+, is in incomes. 48% of working residents work locally in Forest City, above both the Iowa town median (31%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Forest City is home to Waldorf University. Only 4 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a lower July high than Forest City.
Where Forest City beats most towns.
Where Forest City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Forest City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 155 in 1870, 4,285 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1908 and 2 maps from 1972 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Forest City, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Forest City.
Forest City pairs an A+ overall with homes cheaper than the Iowa norm, pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices and draws workers from Lake Mills and beyond.
3,407 jobs are based in Forest City, 1.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 12.1 minutes, against 19.8 across Iowa.
The average trip to work in Forest City is 12 minutes. Since 2013, Forest City has lost 655 jobs, to 3,407 in 2023. 6% of Forest City workers work from home.
| Forest City | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 6% | 8.5% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its A− for schools comes with an A for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $181K.
Its public schools are run by the Forest City Community School District. Its three schools are below. The largest public high school is Forest City High School, with 304 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest City Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 448 | B− |
| Forest City High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 304 | B |
| Forest City Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 330 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
2.0 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Pammel Park, at 36 acres.
| Forest City | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 4.8% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pammel Park | — | 36 |
| 2. Eastwoods Park | — | 30 |
| 3. Tim Coffee Park | — | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 10,461 U.S. towns with household incomes like Forest City’s, it is healthier than 85%, so its B+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Forest City beats the Iowa average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 21% of adults binge drink in Forest City.
| Forest City | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Forest City | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults seeing a dentist | 70.6% | 66.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Forest City grades A+ overall with a typical home of about $181K, below the Iowa typical value; only 10 of the 55 Iowa towns graded A− or better can say that.
Forest City’s median rent is $720 a month. The typical Forest City home is worth about $181,000, up 2.6% in a year, 24% below the Iowa typical home.
| Forest City | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $720 a month | $913 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Forest City has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Only 8 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a lower January low than Forest City.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 28% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 31% of residents (37% statewide). Forest City has lost 3.2% of its people since 2020, down to 4,143 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
| Forest City | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.4 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 29% | 25% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 18% | 19% | 18% |
46% women, 54% men
About 116 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.5 points). Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Forest City | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.7% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 16.2% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.2% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.8% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.1% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7.3% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.6% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.5% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.2% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.1% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 18.9% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.6% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.6% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,100, single groups can be off by several points
Forest City's reported crime rate is well below Iowa's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 4 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Forest City | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.6 per 1,000 residents | 7.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 58% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Forest City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Forest City
About 14 of every 100 Forest City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
2 places in Forest City on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Forest City.
City in the United States
Forest City is a city in Hancock County and Winnebago County in the U.S. state of Iowa, and the county seat of Winnebago County. The population was 4,285 in the 2020 census, a decline from the 4,362 population in 2000. Forest City is the home of Waldorf University, a private university, and the primary manufacting center for Winnebago Industries.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Forest City grades A+ overall, better than 96% of U.S. towns and #14 of 140 in Iowa. It grades B+ for health and A− for schools.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
4 notable people were born here, including Henry Teigan and Bob Baker.
