Village of Forest from the air, 2008
Forest’s story
172 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1854Forest is settled
ForestOH
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
1,332
2025 Census estimate · −1.6% since 2020
Typical home
$128K
−10.2% in a year
Household income
$56K
median
Median age
38.3
years
Jobs based here
257
A commuter town
Is Forest a good place to live?
Forest’s best subject grade is an A for cost of living; its weakest is a C− for walkability. On cost of living, just 99 of Ohio’s 1,718 towns do better. 12% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Forest, against 24% in Ohio’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Forest has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Forest stand out
Where Forest beats most towns.
Small town
1,332 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Forest grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Forest is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.6 of 20; 1.3% of households have no car; 0.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Jobs & income$56K median household incomeC−Open →HealthHardin Memorial Hospital 11.8 miles awayCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 40% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →SchoolsBeat 55% of Ohio districts on tests and graduationBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksC+Open →History1 notable person born hereB−Open →Civic life3.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
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 Forest: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Forest, and how to reach them.
PowerAEP Ohio19.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterForest Village water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet9 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Forest’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Ohio you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereDirector, Hardin County Board of ElectionsHardin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2022
ZIP code4584345843 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Forest.
HousingCost of living grade A
Forest’s typical home value is about $128K
Values fell 10% in the year to September 2026. Forest’s midpoint rent stands at $820 a month. 74% of households are owner-occupiers here, where Ohio’s towns sit at 77% and U.S. towns at 73%.
$128KZillow home value
| Forest | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $820 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 77% | 73% |
Typical home value
Forest$128K
Ohio$246K
−10.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Forest has 0.5 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
For Forest, the average trip to work is 22 minutes. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Forest dropped by 177, to 257. Half of commuters travel less than 20 miles. The top destinations are Kenton (13%), Upper Sandusky (9%) and Columbus (5%).
9%work in town
| Forest | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Forest9%
Kenton13%
Upper Sandusky9%
Columbus5%
Marion Township3%
20 mi
median commute distance
257
jobs based in Forest
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 16% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
On CDC estimates, Forest is less healthy than three in four U.S. towns
Among adults in Forest, 19% report frequent mental distress. In Forest, just over two in five adults have obesity.
26%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Forest | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 26% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Ohio
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Forest | OH |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.2% | 15.3% |
Hardin Memorial Hospital
11.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
The climate in Forest brings four seasons and pleasant summers
In July, afternoons reach 84°; in January, nights fall to 19°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a winter.
26″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–36°
Spring40–60°
Summer61–82°
Fall43–63°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 22
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Natural hazards: moderate risk in Forest, mostly inland flooding
Of the losses FEMA expects in Forest, 56% come from inland flooding and 10% from cold waves. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in three fifths of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Forest after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2012.
40risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Forest
18pages on Forest
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Forest; the nearest are
Ohio Northern UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Ada16.6 mi$39,800 tuitionOhio State University-Lima CampusUniversity or college · Public · Lima27 mi$9,488 in-state tuitionTerra State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fremont42.3 mi$5,748 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Forest residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
A commuter town
91% of working residents leave Forest for work
Where Forest’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
257jobs based in Forest
9%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Forest
Village in Ohio, United States
Forest is a village in Hardin and Wyandot counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 1,350 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1855
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 932 ft
- ZIP code
- 45843
Questions about Forest
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Forest, OH 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.