Measured against area pay, Forsyth costs less to live in than 66% of U.S. towns
It ranks #127 of 247 in Missouri for affordability. Up 0.7% in a year, 21% below the Missouri typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Branson, MO micro area ($56K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Branson-area micro earn ($56K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 3.4 years of area income, and 42% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $209Ktypical home, 21% below the Missouri typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $900a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 3.4 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$56K, Branson-area income
- 15%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 42%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Missouri: 46%Census 2020–24
- 24%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What Forsyth’s housing numbers say
Homes haven’t kept up with new residents
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Forsyth gained 475 residents while 35 new homes were permitted: about 13.6 new residents per new home, against 1.1 across Missouri. New homes ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; sales and supply are Redfin’s for September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Forsyth’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Forsyth is more affordable than 66% of U.S. towns, #127 of 247 in Missouri. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Missouri: up 21.8% in five years, against 26.3% statewide (Zillow).
Up 21.8% in five years
Slower than Missouri (26.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Forsyth | Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $107,000 | $147,000 |
| 2018 | $115,000 | $155,000 |
| 2019 | $126,000 | $163,000 |
| 2020 | $132,000 | $171,000 |
| 2021 | $152,000 | $191,000 |
| 2022 | $183,000 | $217,000 |
| 2023 | $204,000 | $234,000 |
| 2024 | $211,000 | $245,000 |
| 2025 | $206,000 | $255,000 |
| 2026 | $210,000 | $260,000 |
| September 2026 | $209,000 | $265,000 |
A typical Forsyth home worth $105K in October 2016 is worth about $209K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
Too few sales to read the market
Only 5 homes sold in September 2026, the latest month in Redfin’s figures: too few to describe the market or quote a median sale price.
A year’s rent takes 15% of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Forsyth’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Forsyth home, with $21K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $900 a month here, $290 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Forsyth’s typical property tax (0.53% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $900
Renters already here pay a median of $706, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Springfield, MO HUD Metro FMR Area): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
2 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 2 new homes in Forsyth in 2025, all single-family houses. That's 0.7 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Missouri (3.7). Over the past 10 years, Forsyth has permitted 99 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Forsyth gained 475 residents while 35 new homes were permitted: about 14 new residents per new home. Population grew faster than building, so existing homes filled up: a sign of tight supply. Across Missouri: 1.1 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 2 | 2 | 0 | $431,000 |
| 2025 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $600,000 |
| 2024 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2023 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $1.8 million |
| 2022 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $1.8 million |
| 2021 | 46 | 6 | 40 | $7.9 million |
| 2020 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2019 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $648,000 |
| 2018 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $490,000 |
| 2017 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $727,000 |
| 2016 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $540,000 |
| 2015 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $674,000 |
| 2014 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $100,000 |
| 2013 | 5 | 1 | 4 | $232,000 |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $50,000 |
| 2011 | 3 | 1 | 2 | $185,000 |
| 2010 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $264,000 |
| 2009 | 33 | 1 | 32 | $3.2 million |
| 2008 | 10 | 6 | 4 | $791,000 |
| 2007 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $1.6 million |
| 2006 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $1.6 million |
| 2005 | 21 | 21 | 0 | $2.1 million |
| 2004 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2003 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $1 million |
| 2002 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $699,000 |
| 2001 | 6 | 4 | 2 | $457,000 |
| 2000 | 7 | 5 | 2 | $662,000 |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Property tax runs below the Missouri norm
The median bill is $1,027 (Missouri: $1,948), 0.53% of a home’s value a year, against 0.85% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Forsyth and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forsyth | B+ | $209K | $193K | 0.53% | $900 |
Questions about the cost of living in Forsyth
Is Forsyth expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Forsyth costs less than 66% of U.S. towns: a B+ for cost of living, #127 of 247 in Missouri. The typical home costs 3.4 years of the median household income of the Branson, MO micro area ($56K).
How much does a house cost in Forsyth?
About $209K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 0.7% in a year. The Missouri typical home is $265K.
What salary do you need to live in Forsyth?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $51,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,190 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $36,000.
How much is rent in Forsyth?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $900 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $706 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Forsyth?
The median bill is $1,027 a year, 0.53% of the median home value (Missouri: $1,948, 0.85%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Forsyth going up?
Barely: up 0.7% in the past year and 21.8% in five years, against 26.3% across Missouri (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Forsyth buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.