ExecutivePulse
Official Federal Data

Forest County, Pennsylvania

FIPS 42053 · Population 6,715
8 Sources Updated June 22, 2026
$52,191
Median Income
$80,734 national
6.3%
Unemployment
4% national
$270M
GDP
12.3%
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Small population: 6,715 residents. These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates, which carry a wide margin of error for places under 20,000 people. Read each value as an approximate range, and treat year-over-year changes as indicative rather than exact. A small shift can reflect survey sampling, not a real change on the ground.

Demographics & Population

Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates

Household Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$52,191
Per Capita
$24,303
Mean Household
$64,867
Poverty Rate
11.9% approx.
Median Income Comparison
Forest County$52,191
Pennsylvania$77,971
National$80,734

Population Profile

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
65+: 25% (1,676 residents) 55-64: 16.1% (1,083 residents) 35-54: 26.9% (1,808 residents) 18-34: 28.3% (1,900 residents) Under 18: 3.7% (248 residents) 49 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 3.7%
18-34 · 28.3%
35-54 · 26.9%
55-64 · 16.1%
65+ · 25%
Race & Ethnicity
White78.8%
Black or African American14.3%
Asian0.5%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)5.1%
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.

Educational Attainment

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
85.2%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▼ 4.4 pts
12.3%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 23.4 pts
3.6%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 10.5 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
6,715
Population
1,913
Labor Force
Employed
1,866
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
6.3% ▲ +0.6 pts YoY
Mean Commute 3 min below national avg
23.0 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
13.3%
Key Takeaways
  • Income gap: Households earn meaningfully less than the national median, which directly affects retail demand, housing absorption, and tax base.
  • Talent gap: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment trails the national average by 23.4 pts, relevant for advanced-services attraction strategy.
  • Aging population: Median age of 49 is materially above the U.S. norm; succession planning and senior-services demand are real factors.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

$270M
Gross Domestic Product · 2024
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · CAGDP1 Regional GDP

Top Industries by Employment

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics · Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages 2025 Annual
Top industries by employment in Forest County, Pennsylvania, with employment, share of top sectors, and average wage
IndustryEmploymentShare of Top 10Avg Wage
1Manufacturing
144 63.4%
$36,742
2Retail Trade
83 36.6%
$24,099
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Key Takeaways
  • Largest sector: Manufacturing employs 144 workers (63.4% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $36,742.
  • Economic scale: Regional GDP of $270M (2024).
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Forest County's Top Sectors by Workforce Share
Each rectangle's area is proportional to that sector's share of total private-sector employment across all NAICS supersectors. Hover for exact employment.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2025 Annual · Private sector, NAICS supersectors

Housing & Affordability

Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026

Housing Overview

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$115,300
Median Home Value vs 2019
$817
Rent/Mo
78.3%
Owner-Occ
72.3%
Vacancy
2.2x
Home Value to Income Ratio - Affordable
vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents

Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$708/mo
1 Bedroom
$888/mo
2 Bedroom
$973/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,236/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,632/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,305/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
  • Affordable market: Home value to income ratio of 2.2x is well below the ~4.1x national average; supports talent attraction and family settlement narratives.
  • High home ownership: 78.3% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
  • Elevated vacancy: 72.3% vacancy rate. In resort, rural, and seasonal markets much of this is recreational/seasonal (second homes), not available supply; confirm the vacancy-by-reason split before treating it as a redevelopment opportunity.
  • Affordable rent tiers: 4 of 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$1,305/mo).
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.

Workforce Pipeline

Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition

Labor Market Overview

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
4,791
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 3 min below national avg
23.0 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
13.3%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
29.8%
of prime-age population
Labor force participation rate: 29.6% of working-age population (18-64) 30% Participation
▲ vs 2019

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
12.3%
HS Diploma+
85.2%
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
55,388/yr
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus 13,826/yr
University of Pennsylvania 10,067/yr
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus 9,973/yr
Temple University 9,400/yr
Drexel University 7,192/yr
West Chester University of Pennsylvania 4,930/yr

Aging Workforce

Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
22.6%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
22.3%
Service
24%
Sales & Office
17.9%
Construction / Maint.
17.7%
Production / Transport
18.1%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 1,866 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
  • Succession risk is real: 22.6% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
  • Low participation: 29.6% labor force participation suggests untapped capacity; workforce development programs may unlock supply.
  • Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 33,866 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.

AI Insights

AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 8 federal data sources

Industry Shift Analysis

Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100

Prospect Match Scores

Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example

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Data Sources

Updated from official federal government data.

Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23

Frequently Asked Questions

Key economic and demographic figures for Forest County, Pennsylvania, from federal data sources.

What is the population of Forest County, Pennsylvania?

6,715 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the median household income in Forest County, Pennsylvania?

$52,191 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Forest County, Pennsylvania?

6.3% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).

What is the GDP of Forest County, Pennsylvania?

$270M (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).