Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Public schools that outperform most of Missouri.
Forsyth gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $209K for a typical one, or 3.7 years of the Branson area’s $56K median household income. It grades C+ overall, 121st among Missouri's 247 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 76% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top, and CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 79% of the country. On the plus side, its public schools beat 80% of Missouri towns on state tests and graduation. Forsyth’s density of trails is 1.3 miles per square mile, against 0.3 in Missouri’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Among 247 Missouri towns, just 2 have a higher median age than Forsyth. Swan Creek Bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Forsyth beats most towns.
2,255 counted in 2010 and 2,730 in 2020; an estimated 2,752 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 21.1% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Forsyth is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 88 in 1860, a low of 87 in 1870, 2,730 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1956 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Forsyth, 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 Forsyth.
Forsyth pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and fares better on crime within Missouri than nationally.
4.5 miles of trail wind through 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Jellystone Park of Branson, at 52 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jellystone Park of Branson | — | 52 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
That grade comes with a B+ for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $209K.
Its three schools are below. The largest public high school is Forsyth High, with 394 students. Public schools: Forsyth R-III.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forsyth Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 470 | B |
| Forsyth HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 394 | B+ |
| Forsyth MiddleTop results in townGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 356 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
Forsyth: just over a third of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. People 65 and older are 36% of residents (18% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 13% of residents (22% statewide). 17% of Forsyth residents are under 18, below both Missouri’s towns (23%) and U.S. towns (22%).
| Forsyth | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 17% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 22% | 29% |
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.6 points. Across Missouri, 50.7% of residents are women. Among residents 45 to 54, 69% are men (MO 50%).
| Forsyth | MO | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.4% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.5% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.3% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.4% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.2% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.4% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.5% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 17.4% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.7% | 8.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.5% | 30.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.2% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.2% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 13.3% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 21% | 12.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,800, single groups can be off by several points
Against the 4,309 U.S. towns with household incomes like Forsyth’s, it is healthier than 60%, so that grade isn’t only a matter of income.
Among adults in Forsyth, 18% smoke cigarettes. CDC measures, 32 in all: Forsyth beats Missouri on 2 and trails on 11. In Forsyth, 18% of adults report frequent physical distress, and 13% binge drink.
| Forsyth | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 37% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Forsyth | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.1% | 16.3% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.2% | 77.2% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.4% | 6.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FEMA puts 64% of Forsyth’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 8% to cold waves. The national flood insurance program has paid one claim locally since 2017. Federal aid has come to Forsyth households in 9 declared disasters; the latest was in 2019.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The going rate for rent for Forsyth comes to $706 a month. Homes locally are typically worth about $209,000, up 0.7% in a year, 21% below the Missouri typical home. For households in the town, the share who are owner-occupiers is 71%.
| Forsyth | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $706 a month | $972 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Summer afternoons peak near 90° in July, and January nights bottom out around 25°; snowfall runs to about 7 inches a winter. The seasons in Forsyth: chilly winters, warm summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Forsyth’s middle household income comes in at $46,000. Commuting out is the norm locally: just over a tenth of working residents work locally. The top destinations are Branson (26%), Springfield (13%) and Hollister (3%). Half the trips to work are shorter than 11 miles.
| Forsyth | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 13% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 20.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 57% of Missouri’s graded towns.
In Forsyth, the level of property crime is 7.6 per 1,000 residents. The town’s violent offense rate stands at 2.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Forsyth | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.6 per 1,000 residents | 12.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.2 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Forsyth. Close and well known come first.
13 mi Theme parkSilver Dollar City
14 mi LakeTable Rock Lake
10 mi MuseumTitanic Museum13 mi CaveMarvel Cave
40 mi LandmarkChrist of the Ozarks
36 mi Zoo & aquariumWonders of Wildlife Museum & AquariumSilver Dollar City: Nan Fry, CC BY 2.0 · Table Rock Lake: KTrimble (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Titanic Museum: Brad A. Totman, Public domain · Christ of the Ozarks: Bobak Ha'Eri, Public domain · Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium: Robert Lawton, CC BY-SA 2.5
1 within 15 miles of the center of Forsyth
About 1 of every 100 Forsyth residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
City in Missouri, U.S.
Forsyth ( FOR-sythe) is a city in and the county seat of Taney County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,730 at the 2020 census. The town is part of the Branson micropolitan area. Forsyth is located on Lake Taneycomo on U.S. Route 160.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Forsyth grades C+ overall, better than 44% of U.S. towns and #121 of 247 in Missouri. It grades C− for health, B− for safety and A− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
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 B+.
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