Forrest, Illinois aerial 01, 2012
Forrest Township’s story
160 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2012.
- 1866Forrest Township is settled
Forrest TownshipIL
A town of 1,389, settled in 1866.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Huwmanbeing · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,389
2025 Census estimate · −2.4% since 2020
Median home value
$137K
Census ACS
Household income
$86K
median
Median age
32.3
years
Jobs based here
700
Balanced
Is Forrest Township a good place to live?
Forrest Township’s best subject grade is an A for cost of living; its weakest is a C for hazard risk. On the outdoors, just 18 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do worse. Forrest Township's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 91% of U.S. towns. Forrest Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,389 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Chatsworth TownshipPleasant Ridge TownshipIndian Grove TownshipForrest Township
How Forrest Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Forrest Township is from typical.
Cost of livingTypical home $137K, 1.8 years of the Pontiac area’s $74K median household incomeAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.7 of 20; 0.6% of households have no car; 3.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →HealthGibson Community Hospital 17.2 miles awayBOpen →SchoolsB−Open →Jobs & income$86K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →HistoryB−Open →Civic life2.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Forrest Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Forrest Township, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterForrest water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Forrest Township’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 codes61741, 61739, 6177561741 92% · 61739 6% · 61775 2%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 Township.
SchoolsB−
Forrest Township’s public schools outperform 52% of Illinois districts
Public schools: Prairie Central CUSD 8. Its two schools are below. 2 public schools serve Forrest Township, with 466 students in all.
52%of IL districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Central Jr High SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 250 | B+ |
| Prairie Central Upper ElementaryTop results in townGrades 5–6 | Grades 5–6 | 216 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduation
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Forrest Township
A winter brings about 14 inches of snow, with January nights at 17° and July afternoons at 85°.
14″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–36°
Spring40–62°
Summer62–84°
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 B−
About one in eight working residents works right in Forrest Township
Only 13% of working residents stay in Forrest Township for work; the rest commute out. This Illinois town had 700 jobs in 2023, up 70 from 2013. The top destinations are Forrest (11%), Fairbury (9%) and Pontiac (6%). Its typical journey to work is 23 minutes, below both Illinois’ towns (26 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes).
13%work in town
| Forrest Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.9% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $86,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Forrest Township13%
Forrest11%
Fairbury9%
Pontiac6%
Bloomington4%
20 mi
median commute distance
700
jobs based in Forrest Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 56% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Forrest Township faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected losses in Forrest Township break down as 62% from inland flooding and 15% from cold waves. Forrest Township’s natural-hazard score from FEMA is 60 of 100, above both the Illinois town median (50 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100). Also worth knowing: the national flood insurance program has paid 5 claims in the town since 1981.
60risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
5
paid flood claims since 1981
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB
Forrest Township is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns
Nearly a fifth of adults binge drink in Forrest Township. This Illinois town does better than the Illinois average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 5. Two figures for adults in the town: 15% smoke cigarettes, 34% sleep under 7 hours.
56%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Forrest Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 35% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
3 better24 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Forrest Township | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.5% | 13.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.8% | 15.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13% | 10.3% |
Gibson Community Hospital
17.2 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 Township
17pages on Forrest Township
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Forrest Township; the nearest are
Illinois State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Normal33.4 mi$16,144 in-state tuitionHeartland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Normal33.9 mi$5,550 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Forrest Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A shrinking town
Forrest Township has shrunk 14% since 2010
1,605 counted in 2010 and 1,408 in 2020; an estimated 1,389 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
About Forrest Township
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 Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Forrest Township, 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.