Cost of living in Forest research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Forest is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Mississippi, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Forest is 83, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Forest is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Forest ranks as the #22 cheapest in Mississippi out of 68.
Forest ranks as the #306 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Forest is $114,575.
The median income in Forest is $51,082.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Forest has an overall cost of living index of 83, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Mississippi, Forest has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Mississippi's index of 84.
The standard of living in Forest ranks as #22 most affordable out of the 68 places we measured in Mississippi. By definition, that implies Forest ranks as the #46 most expensive place in the Magnolia State.
For more reading on life in Forest, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Forest. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Forest is 97.
The Groceries index in Forest is 100.
The Health index in Forest is 100.
The Housing index in Forest is 55.
The Transportation index in Forest is 82.
The Utilities index in Forest is 83.
| Living Expense | Forest | Mississippi | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 83 | 84 | 100 | |
| Services | 97 | 90 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 100 | 95 | 100 | |
| Health | 100 | 96 | 100 | |
| Housing | 55 | 63 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 82 | 90 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 83 | 85 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Mississippi, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Forest is $114,575.
The Median Rent in Forest is $695.
The Median Income in Forest is $51,082.
The Home Value To Income in Forest is 2.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Forest is 0.16x.
| Statistic | Forest | Mississippi | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $114,575 | $188,640 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $695 | $923 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $51,082 | $54,915 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 2.2x | 3.4x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.16x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Forest | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.24 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.59 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $20.0 | $18 |
| Haircut | $22.5 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $41.67 | $45.56 |
| Item | Forest | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.19 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.67 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.64 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.1 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.66 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.66 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.62 | $3.7 |
| Item | Forest | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $106.25 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $134.71 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $121.33 | $113.29 |
| Item | Forest | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.02 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $38.33 | $59.92 |
| Item | Forest | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $141.59 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $187.62 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Forest. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Madison, MS has a cost of living index of 112, 1.3x Forest.
Pearl, MS has a cost of living index of 89, 1.1x Forest.
Brandon, MS has a cost of living index of 96, 1.2x Forest.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Forest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, MS | 27,775 | 112 | 1.3x |
| Pearl, MS | 27,458 | 89 | 1.1x |
| Brandon, MS | 25,352 | 96 | 1.2x |
| Ridgeland, MS | 24,548 | 98 | 1.2x |
| Laurel, MS | 17,129 | 82 | 1.0x |
| Byram, MS | 12,847 | 90 | 1.1x |
| Canton, MS | 10,863 | 83 | 1.0x |
| Richland, MS | 7,250 | 88 | 1.1x |
| Philadelphia, MS | 7,030 | 81 | 1.0x |
| Kosciusko, MS | 6,994 | 81 | 1.0x |