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 Virginia, 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 105, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Forest is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Forest ranks as the #51 cheapest in Virginia out of 190.
Forest ranks as the #3,177 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Forest is $405,881.
The median income in Forest is $78,825.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Forest has an overall cost of living index of 105, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Virginia, Forest has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Virginia's index of 110.
The standard of living in Forest ranks as #51 most affordable out of the 190 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Forest ranks as the #139 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.
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 94.
The Groceries index in Forest is 97.
The Health index in Forest is 103.
The Housing index in Forest is 122.
The Transportation index in Forest is 86.
The Utilities index in Forest is 115.
| Living Expense | Forest | Virginia | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 105 | 110 | 100 | |
| Services | 94 | 101 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 97 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 103 | 98 | 100 | |
| Housing | 122 | 130 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 86 | 94 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 115 | 104 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Virginia, 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 $405,881.
The Median Rent in Forest is $1,112.
The Median Income in Forest is $78,825.
The Home Value To Income in Forest is 5.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Forest is 0.17x.
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:
Scranton, PA has a cost of living index of 90, 0.9x Forest.
Dickson, TN has a cost of living index of 92, 0.9x Forest.
Dunmore, PA has a cost of living index of 96, 0.9x Forest.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Forest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scranton, PA | 76,074 | 90 | 0.9x |
| Dickson, TN | 16,246 | 92 | 0.9x |
| Dunmore, PA | 14,123 | 96 | 0.9x |
| Carbondale, PA | 8,820 | 86 | 0.8x |
| Archbald, PA | 7,348 | 95 | 0.9x |
| Blakely, PA | 6,661 | 97 | 0.9x |
| Olyphant, PA | 5,370 | 91 | 0.9x |
| Clarks Summit, PA | 5,058 | 99 | 0.9x |