The typical owner-occupied home in Forest is worth about $43,300, 80% below the Louisiana median of $216,500 and 87% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $199 a year in property taxes, about 0.46% of their home's value, lower than the Louisiana rate of 0.55%. The median household earns $40,347 a year, so the median home costs 1.1 times the median income (3.6 times for Louisiana). 58% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 34% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Forest at a glance
| Forest | Louisiana | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $43,300 | $216,500 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | $199 | $1,180 | $3,119 |
| Property tax as a share of value | 0.46% | 0.55% | 0.94% |
| Median household income | $40,347 | $60,756 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 58% | 67% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 34% | 52% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | $1,519 | $1,604 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 33.0% | 20.4% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | $950 | $1,064 | $1,413 |
| Rent as a share of renters' income | 19.7% | 32.8% | 30.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 1988 | 1983 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 5.0% | 14.4% | 10.1% |
| Population | 486 | 4,611,961 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in Forest
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Forest home of $43,300 with 20% down costs about $268 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $340, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.
Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $11,472 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 8% of the median Forest household income of $40,347; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $152,000.
The median rent here is $950 a month, a little more than the monthly cost of owning the median home with 20% down.
| Down payment | $8,660 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $34,640 |
| Principal and interest | $233 |
| Property taxes (0.46% a year) | $17 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $18 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $268 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
| Down payment | $1,516 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $42,516 |
| Principal and interest | $286 |
| Property taxes (0.46% a year) | $17 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $18 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $19 |
| Total per month | $340 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
Questions about home buying in Forest
What is the median home value in Forest?
About $43,300 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
How much are property taxes in Forest?
Homeowners pay a median $199 a year, which is about 0.46% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.
What income do you need to buy a home in Forest?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $268 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $11,472 a year.
More about Forest
- Mortgage Refinance in Forest
- Debt Relief in Forest
- Home Equity Loans in Forest
- Guides and quotes for mortgage refinance on our sister site, MortgageRefinance.com
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data