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Big small town

Living in Forest, MS

Forest is a big small town of 5,357 people in Scott County, Mississippi. It's about 43 miles from Jackson, MS and 175 miles from Birmingham, AL, the nearest major city. Summer highs average 91°F and winter highs 58°F, with almost no snow. The typical home is valued around $141k and rent runs about $900 a month.

5,357people
$141kTypical home
$900/moRent
91° / 58°Summer / winter
1"Snow
245Sunny days
102Rain/snow days

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Size & setting

  • Big small town of 5,357
  • A standalone small town, not a suburb
  • About 410 people per sq mi
  • 175 mi to Birmingham, AL
  • 43 mi to Jackson, MS
  • 31 mi to the nearest town of 10k+

Money

  • Typical home $141k (≈$890/mo)
  • Median rent $900/mo
  • Median household income $50k
  • Property tax about 0.9% of value
  • 4.0% unemployment

Weather

  • Summer highs around 91°F
  • Winter highs around 58°F
  • Muggy summers (dew point 70°F)
  • 245 sunny days a year (109 totally clear)
  • 120 cloudy days a year
  • 39 of 90 winter days are gray
  • 102 days a year with rain or snow
  • Basically no snow
  • Snow days are rare
  • 2 days a year over 100°F
  • Rarely drops below 10°F
  • Usually calm

Safety

  • About average violent crime (374 per 100k)
  • Low property crime (991 per 100k)

People

  • Median age 36
  • 39% of households have kids
  • 13% are 65 or older
  • 19% have a college degree
  • Very diverse community
  • 5% of residents are college students

Getting around & homes

  • Average commute 22 min
  • 3% walk or take transit to work
  • 35 mi to JAN airport
  • 170 mi to MSY (major hub)
  • 42 mi to the nearest Amtrak station
  • 58% single-family homes
  • Typical home built around 1977
  • 83% of homes have broadband

Outdoors

  • Flat, open land
  • Elevation 472 ft
  • 136 mi to the ocean
  • 151 mi to a big lake
  • 31 mi to the nearest trailhead
  • 28 mi to the nearest campground
  • 1 golf course within 25 mi

Things to do

  • 10 sit-down restaurants within 25 mi
  • Few or no bars within 25 mi
  • Few or no coffee shops within 25 mi
  • No music venues & clubs within 25 mi
  • No museums within 25 mi
  • No breweries & distilleries within 25 mi
  • 25 mi to the nearest farmers market

Everyday

  • Schools in the bottom 30% of Mississippi districts (reading)
  • 2 mi to the nearest grocery store
  • 2 mi to the nearest ER hospital
  • 85 mi to a 4–5★ hospital
  • 31 mi to the nearest vet
  • 8 mi to the nearest dog park
  • 12 congregations per 10k people
  • 32 mi to the nearest college

Politics

  • Scott County: R+24 in 2024
  • Mississippi: R+23 in 2024

Natural hazards

  • Moderate hurricane risk
  • High tornado risk
  • Low wildfire risk
  • Low earthquake risk
  • Low flood risk
  • Low drought risk
  • Low winter storm risk
  • High heat wave risk
  • Very low volcano risk

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