Forrest, Illinois aerial 01, 2012
Forrest’s story
160 years in pictures
Census counts: 357 in 1880, 1,041 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and a map from 1983 on.
- 1866Forrest is settled
ForrestIL
A town of 1,015, settled in 1866.
Photo: Huwmanbeing · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,015
2025 Census estimate · −2.8% since 2020
Typical home
$173K
+9.6% in a year
Household income
$73K
median
Median age
34.1
years
Jobs based here
557
Balanced
Is Forrest a good place to live?
The best of Forrest’s subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a C for hazard risk. On the outdoors, just 9 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do worse. Forrest's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 86% of U.S. towns. Forrest has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Forrest stand out
Where Forrest beats most towns.
A shrinking town
Forrest has shrunk 17% since 2010
1,220 counted in 2010 and 1,041 in 2020; an estimated 1,015 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Forrest grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Forrest is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →Jobs & income$73K median household incomeC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.6 of 20; 0.7% of households have no car; 2.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →HealthGibson Community Hospital 19 miles awayBOpen →SchoolsBeat 52% of Illinois districts on tests and graduationB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →History3 notable people born hereB−Open →Civic life3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 34.1; 19% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Forrest: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Forrest, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterForrest water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Forrest’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Illinois you can register online until 16 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLivingston County ClerkLivingston County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2021
ZIP code6174161741 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Forrest.
HousingCost of living grade A
Homes in Forrest are worth about $173K, by Zillow’s estimate
Home values are up 9.6% over the year to September 2026. In Forrest, the rent at the middle of the market is $730 a month. Forrest: nearly four in five households are owner-occupiers, close to Illinois’ towns (75%) and above U.S. towns (73%).
$173KZillow home value
| Forrest | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $730 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 79% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Forrest$173K
Illinois$296K
+9.6%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
The biggest natural risk in Forrest is inland flooding, at a high overall level
Forrest’s risk rating from FEMA is 68 of 100. FEMA puts 66% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 15% to cold waves. Federal aid has come to Forrest households in 4 declared disasters; the latest was in 2011.
68risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 1980
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Forrest, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
In July, afternoons reach 85°; in January, nights fall to 17°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a winter.
14″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–36°
Spring40–62°
Summer62–83°
Fall43–64°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 16
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Forrest sends most of its workers out of town
The top destinations are Fairbury (10%), Pontiac (7%) and Bloomington (4%). Just 9% of Forrest’s working residents have a job in town. Jobs in Forrest grew by 95 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 557. Half of commuters travel less than 21 miles.
9%work in town
| Forrest | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Forrest9%
Fairbury10%
Pontiac7%
Bloomington4%
Chicago4%
21 mi
median commute distance
557
jobs based in Forrest
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 60% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB
On CDC estimates, Forrest is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns
Forrest: 34% of adults sleep under 7 hours, below both the Illinois town median (35%) and the median of U.S. towns (36%). On the CDC’s 32 measures, Forrest is ahead of Illinois on 1 and behind on 3. Also worth knowing: in Forrest, nearly a fifth of adults binge drink.
57%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Forrest | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 35% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
1 better28 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Forrest | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.8% | 13.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.8% | 6.3% |
Gibson Community Hospital
19 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Forrest
18pages on Forrest
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Forrest; the nearest are
Illinois State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Normal34.7 mi$16,144 in-state tuitionHeartland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Normal35.1 mi$5,550 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Forrest residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Small town
1,015 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Famous people from Forrest
3 notable people were born in Forrest.
About Forrest
Village in Illinois, United States
Forrest is a village in Livingston County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,041 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1866
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 683 ft
- ZIP code
- 61741
Questions about Forrest
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Forrest, IL expensive?
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.
What is Forrest, IL known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Ed Walker and Jan Bach.