County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Forrest County
- What is the median household income in Forrest County?
- The median household income in Forrest County is $52,821 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Forrest County?
- The poverty rate in Forrest County is 16.5% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Forrest County?
- $152,900 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Forrest County?
- The median gross rent in Forrest County is $960 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Forrest County residents have a college degree?
- 29.5% of adults in Forrest County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
78,027
Median Income
$52,821
Median Home Value
$152,900
Poverty Rate
16.5%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
6.2%
Median Age
31.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$12,981 (+32.6%)
Home Value:
+$30,200 (+24.6%)
Poverty Rate:
-3.0 pp (-15.4%)
Bachelor's+:
+1.7 pp (+6.1%)
Unemployment:
-1.9 pp (-23.5%)
Demographics
Total Population
78,027
Median Age
31.0
Female
53.3%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 4.2%
White (non-Hisp.) 56.0%
Black 35.8%
Asian 0.9%
Two or More 5.1%
Other 0.8%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Chinese
0.3%
Vietnamese
0.3%
Filipino
0.1%
Korean
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
2.0%
Puerto Rican
0.6%
Cuban
0.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$52,821
±$3,246
-$2,094 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$74,644
Median Family Income
$67,562
Poverty Rate
16.5%
+2.2 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
22.5%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
16.4%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
23.7%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
7.0%
$10–15k
7.1%
$15–25k
12.3%
$25–35k
8.3%
$35–50k
13.2%
$50–75k
16.9%
$75–100k
13.9%
$100–150k
11.1%
$150–200k
4.9%
$200k+
5.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
33,672
Owner-Occupied
57.1%
Renter-Occupied
42.9%
Vacancy Rate
11.7%
Median Home Value
$152,900
-$8,500 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$960
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
15.7%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
44.7%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
11.8%
$50–100k
19.0%
$100–200k
18.1%
$200–300k
18.5%
$300–500k
13.1%
$500k–$1M
2.9%
$1M+
0.5%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
7.2%
$500–1k
47.3%
$1–1.5k
38.9%
$1.5–2k
4.5%
$2–2.5k
1.3%
$3.5k+
0.8%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
6.9%
1 vehicle
36.5%
2 vehicles
34.8%
3+
21.8%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
63.7%
Single-fam. att.
1.1%
2–4 units
2.3%
5–19 units
5.9%
20+ units
6.6%
Mobile home
9.8%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
6.4%
1940–1969
6.1%
1970–1999
15.4%
2000–2009
15.2%
2010+
9.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
90.8%
Bachelor's or Higher
29.5%
+5.3 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
12.9%
Some College / Associate
22.5%
Less Than High School
2.4%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
63.1%
Unemployment Rate
6.2%
+0.2 pp vs. state
Work from Home
3.1%
Self-Employed
5.5%
Government Workers
18.4%
Private For-Profit
75.8%
Industry
Edu/Health
26.5%
Arts/Entmt.
13.5%
Retail
13.2%
Manufacturing
9.3%
Prof. Services
8.1%
Construction
6.5%
Transportation
5.0%
Public Admin
4.5%
Finance
4.3%
Wholesale
1.8%
Agriculture
1.4%
Information
0.8%
Occupation
Management
34.6%
Sales
24.1%
Food Prep
18.0%
Production
15.3%
Construction
8.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
21.2 min
Drove Alone
82.0%
Carpool
7.3%
Public Transit
0.5%
Work from Home
3.1%
Walked
1.5%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
29,722
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
40.4%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
16.5%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
6.3%
5–9
5.5%
10–14
7.1%
15–19
8.0%
20–24
12.2%
25–34
14.3%
35–44
11.7%
45–54
10.3%
55–64
5.3%
65–74
5.4%
75–84
7.8%
85+
4.4%
Under 18: 22.8%
Working age (18–64): 77.2%
65 and over: 13.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
2.6%
Naturalized Citizen
30.4%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
1.3%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
49.7%
Asia
25.0%
Europe
11.2%
Africa
3.6%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
6.6%
With a Disability
19.5%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
89.0%
Uninsured
11.0%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
84.5%
Has a Computer
93.5%
Same House 1 Year Ago
83.9%
Moved from Abroad
0.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Forrest County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Forrest County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Lamar County | 731 | 1,363 |
| Other flows - South | 520 | 910 |
| Jones County | 149 | 293 |
| Harrison County | 100 | 187 |
| Other flows - West | 85 | 178 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 82 | 153 |
| Perry County | 71 | 145 |
| Covington County | 67 | 136 |
| Hinds County | 59 | 90 |
| Jackson County | 57 | 83 |