Forest, Ohio

Village in Hardin County · population 1,350 (2020 Census)

Median home: $112,700
Household income: $55,938
Jan low / Jul high: 18° / 84°
Snow a year: 25 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 7
Median age: 38.3

Forest is a village of 1,350 people in Hardin County, Ohio. The median home is worth $112,700, below the typical Ohio town ($171,100). It ranks easier by car than 97% of Ohio towns, quieter than 86% of Ohio towns.

How Forest ranks

Percentile among Ohio towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Ohio towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Forest is worth $112,700, below the typical Ohio town ($171,100). Homes cost about 2.0 times the median household income of $55,938, which is more affordable than 87% of Ohio towns. Median rent is $820 a month. 74.4% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Ohio towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Forest	Typical Ohio town
Median home value	$112,700	$171,100
Median rent	$820	$914
Median household income	$55,938	$67,019
Home value ÷ income	2.0×	2.6×
Homeownership	74.4%	71.7%
Median year built	1953	1965
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Forest

People	Forest	Typical Ohio town
Median age	38.3	40.6
Age 65 and over	14.0%	19.1%
Under 18	23.2%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	11.8%	21.3%
Below the poverty line	11.5%	10.3%
Veterans	4.9%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.5%	—
Work from home	2.9%	8.6%
Average commute	22.4 min	23.3 min
Homes with broadband	93.1%	90.9%

Weather in Forest

July highs average 84.0°F and January lows 18.3°F. About 37.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 25.0 inches of snow (typical Ohio town: 23.8 in). Expect about 16 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 124 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Kenton station (11.8 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Forest since 1950, compared with 16 for the typical Ohio town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 2, 1971 about 8.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 25, 2011.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 18 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on March 28, 2020.

Severe weather in Hardin County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Hardin County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Hardin County has been included in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for hurricane, snowstorm, biological.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
March 31, 2020	Biological	DR-4507: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3457: Covid-19
August 20, 2012	Severe Storm	DR-4077: Severe Storms And Straight-Line Winds
June 30, 2012	Severe Storm	EM-3346: Severe Storms
April 24, 2008	Snowstorm	EM-3286: Record Snow And Near Record Snow

Jobs and pay in Hardin County

Hardin County had 7,675 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $49,899 a year. Unemployment was 3.8% in 2023; in Forest itself the ACS puts it at 2.5%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Forest

Dunkirk, OH
6.8 mi · 774 people · home $99,200
Arlington, OH
9.5 mi · 1,492 people · home $205,000
Carey, OH
11.9 mi · 3,565 people · home $158,100
Kenton, OH
12.1 mi · 7,947 people · home $107,100
Upper Sandusky, OH
12.9 mi · 6,698 people · home $157,600
Ada, OH
16.4 mi · 5,334 people · home $160,500
La Rue, OH
17.1 mi · 676 people · home $113,600
Rawson, OH
17.6 mi · 567 people · home $133,300

Forest questions

Is Forest, Ohio a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Forest scores better for retirees than 47% of Ohio towns and quieter than 86%. 14.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.3).

How much does a house cost in Forest?

The median owner-occupied home in Forest is valued at $112,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $55,938, so homes cost about 2.0 times income. Median rent is $820 a month.

What is the weather like in Forest?

July highs average 84.0°F and January lows 18.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.6 inches of precipitation a year and 25.0 inches of snow.

Does Forest get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Forest since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 2, 1971. The typical Ohio town has had 16.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Forest's Census boundary (GEOID 3927636). Comparisons use the median of Ohio towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.