US Post Office-Forest · Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0Forest spent more per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities
Forest’s city government spent $6.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, about $1,141 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Forest is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,119 per resident in 2022: more than 78% of them
Forest’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,119 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 27 Mississippi cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $913, and the middle half spent $784–$1,078. Forest spent more than 78% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.1 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Mississippi cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Forest itself left out).
About $1,141 per resident a year, or $3.13 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 36%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending has held about steady since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Forest reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,119 · 2023: $1,141.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,252 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.89% of the home’s value, vs 0.72% across Mississippi.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Forest’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Forest’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Forest →
Who’s in charge in Forest
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Forest’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofforest.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 65 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (5,339).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Forest Municipal School District
Forest’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,600 per pupil, $6,428 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Mississippi districts overall: 33% local, 45% state, 23% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Forest’s votes are counted by county
Mississippi reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Forest alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Scott County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican61.7%6,098 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat37.7%3,729 votesOthers: 0.6% (64 votes).
Most votes in Scott County: Donald J Trump
Mississippi: Trump 60.9%, Harris 38.0%
100% of Forest lies in Scott County. Every 2024 race in Scott County is on the county’s page.
Scott County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Forest.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofforest.com ↗
- 2Mississippi HouseForest is split between 3 districts
- 3Mississippi SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Mississippi
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Forest’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Forest’s government
How much does Forest spend per resident?
About $1,141 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,119 was more than 78% of 27 Mississippi cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Forest?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,252 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.89% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.72% across Mississippi. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofforest.com.
Who runs Forest’s government?
See cityofforest.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Forest yet.
How did Forest vote in 2024?
Mississippi counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Forest alone. Scott County, where 100% of Forest lies, voted Trump 61.7%, Harris 37.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Forest?
82 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $256,944 (about $3.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Forest in the state legislature?
Forest is split among 3 State House districts, so your address decides. The Mississippi Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 31 (Tyler McCaughn). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Forest’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →