Forreston, IL Fire Dept 01, 2007
Forreston’s story
172 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,108 in 1880, 1,435 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and a map from 1942 on.
- 1854Forreston is settled
ForrestonIL
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Ben Jacobson (Kranar Drogin) · CC BY 2.5
Population
1,402
2025 Census estimate · −2.4% since 2020
Typical home
$177K
+7.2% in a year
Household income
$71K
median
Median age
40.8
years
Jobs based here
427
A commuter town
Is Forreston a good place to live?
Forreston’s best subject grade is an A for cost of living. On hazard risk, just 13 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do better. Forreston's public schools beat 70% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation. On cost of living, just 109 of Illinois’ 1,284 towns do better. Only 83 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score lower on the outdoors. Forreston has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Forreston stand out
Where Forreston beats most towns.
Typical home value
Forreston$177K
Illinois$296K
Cost of livingA
2.2 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 94% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Natural hazardsA
Lower risk than 89% of U.S. communities
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
0historic places
History
Settled in 1854
A long history
A history going back 172 years.
Small town
1,402 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Maryland TownshipForreston TownshipForreston
How Forreston grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Forreston is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listAOpen →SchoolsB+Open →HealthFHN Memorial Hospital 12 miles awayC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.1 of 20; 6.3% of households have no car; 6.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Jobs & income$71K median household incomeBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksDOpen →History1 notable person born hereB−Open →Civic life3.6 library visits per resident; 5.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
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 40.8; 21% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Forreston: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Forreston, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterForreston water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Forreston’s trash rules yet
SchoolsForrestville Valley Community Unit School District 221Which school depends on your addressNCES
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 hereOgle County ClerkOgle County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6103061030 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 Forreston.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Forreston stands out in Illinois and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is lower
At 11 of 100, Forreston’s FEMA risk score is against 50 of 100 in Illinois’ towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns.
11risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade A
Homes in Forreston are worth about $177K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Forreston home is worth about $177,000, up 7.2% in a year, 40% below the Illinois typical home. At $744 a month, Forreston’s median rent is below both the Illinois town median ($1,129 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 82% of households own their home in Forreston.
$177KZillow home value
| Forreston | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $744 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 82% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Forreston$177K
Illinois$296K
+7.2%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
With 0.7 jobs for every working resident, most of Forreston’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Forreston for work: only 8% work in town. Since 2013, Forreston has added 200 jobs, to 427 in 2023. 5.7% of Forreston residents live below the poverty line.
8%work in town
| Forreston | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 5.7% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Forreston8%
Freeport19%
Rockford9%
Chicago4%
Dixon3%
20 mi
median commute distance
427
jobs based in Forreston
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 55% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Forreston, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Forreston has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 12° and about 35 inches of snow falls in a winter.
35″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–32°
Spring38–59°
Summer60–82°
Fall40–61°
Oct 7
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
On CDC estimates, Forreston is less healthy than 61% of U.S. towns
Forreston beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7.
39%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Forreston | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
0 better25 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Forreston | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.5% | 6.3% |
| More smokers | 15.8% | 12.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.2% | 7.6% |
FHN Memorial Hospital
12 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Safety
Crime reported in Forreston
Forreston's reported crime rate is well below Illinois's. Forreston’s property crime rate is 5 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Forreston | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 5 per 1,000 residents | 9.3 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 2.1 per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.7 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Forreston2.1
Illinois2.9
U.S.3.6
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Forreston5
Illinois17.7
U.S.17.7
3
violent crimes reported in 2024
7
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Forreston
19pages on Forreston
The big questions
SchoolsB+Beat 70% of IL districtsSafety2.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2024)HealthC+Better than IL on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA$177K typical home · up 7.2% in a yearWork & commuteB$71K median household income · 427 jobs hereNatural hazardsAFEMA risk higher than 11% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Forreston
About 4 of every 100 Forreston residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
92% of working residents leave Forreston for work
Where Forreston’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
427jobs based in Forreston
8%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Forreston
Village in Illinois, United States
Forreston is a village in Ogle County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Forreston had a population of 1,435.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1854
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 938 ft
- ZIP code
- 61030
Questions about Forreston
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Forreston, 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.