HomeIowaWinnebago CountyForest City
Forest City, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Forest City is a Census city of 4,290 people across 4.59 square miles of land, lying across Winnebago County and Hancock County. Median household income is $69,205, 66.7 percent of occupied homes are owned, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals to borrowers here worth $313,500 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Forest City
What Forest City is
- Census place typecity
- Land area4.59 sq mi
- Water area0 sq mi
- Population per square mile of land935
- County holding the largest share of its areaWinnebago County, 55.4 percent
- Counties this place lies inWinnebago County 55.4 percent, Hancock County 44.6 percent
Forest City crosses a county line. The split above is measured from the Census boundary of the place against the county boundaries, by area, so it says where the ground is and not where the town hall is.
US Census Bureau, cartographic boundary file, places, 2024 vintage. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
Forest City
How many people live in Forest City
- Population4,290
- Median age34.4
- Population under 18974
- Share under 1822.7 percent
- Population 65 and over756
- Share 65 and over17.6 percent
- Households1,653
- Family households944
- Share of households that are families57.1 percent
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
Forest City
Income and work in Forest City
- Median household income$69,205 plus or minus $16,191
- Per capita income$36,930
- Civilian labor force2,239
- Employed2,178
- Unemployed61 plus or minus 56
- Unemployment rate2.7 percent plus or minus 2.5
- Adults 25 and over2,621
- Adults 25 and over with a high school diploma or higher95.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher29.2 percent plus or minus 6.0
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.6 percent plus or minus 4.7
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
Forest City
Housing in Forest City
- Housing units1,775
- Occupied units1,653
- Vacant units122 plus or minus 86
- Vacancy rate6.9 percent plus or minus 4.8
- Owner occupied1,102
- Renter occupied551 plus or minus 136
- Ownership rate66.7 percent
- Median owner-occupied home value$143,500
- Median gross rent, monthly$720
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.5 percent plus or minus 2.9
- Single family units1,250
- Share single family70.4 percent
- Units in buildings of two or more421 plus or minus 143
- Share in buildings of two or more23.7 percent plus or minus 7.9
- Mobile homes104 plus or minus 69
- Median year structure built1971
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
Forest City
How Forest City gets to work
- Workers 16 and over who commute2,013
- Commuting under 15 minutes1,376
- Share commuting under 15 minutes68.4 percent
- Commuting 30 minutes or more287 plus or minus 128
- Share commuting 30 minutes or more14.3 percent plus or minus 6.1
- Drove alone75.1 percent
- Carpooled7.1 percent plus or minus 3.3
- Public transport0.2 percent plus or minus 0.5
- Walked8.5 percent plus or minus 5.1
- Worked from home6.0 percent plus or minus 2.8
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
Forest City
SBA loans in Forest City (7(a))
- Approvals3
- Gross approval$313,500
- Average approval$104,500
- Median approval$85,000
- Largest approval$193,500
- Jobs supported12
- Jobs per approval4.0
- Loans with a final outcome3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Median term180 months
- Share on real estate terms of 20 years or more33.3 percent
- Share to franchises0.0 percent
- Distinct lenders1
- Distinct industries by NAICS1
Counted by borrower city: approvals to borrowers whose address is in Forest City, in any county, FY2020 to FY2026. Only 3 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Forest City
SBA loans in Forest City (504)
- Approvals2
- Gross approval$772,000
- Average approval$386,000
- Median approval$386,000
- Largest approval$649,000
- Jobs supported7
- Loans with a final outcome0
- Charged off0
- Median term240 months
- Distinct CDCs2
Counted by borrower city: approvals to borrowers whose address is in Forest City, in any county, FY2010 to FY2026. Only 0 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Forest City
Flood risk in Forest City
- NFIP communityCity of Forest City
- NFIP community number190283
- Participating in the NFIPYes
- Community Rating System classNone
- Currently effective map date10/27/22
The City of Forest City participates in the National Flood Insurance Program as community 190283 and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies to it.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Winnebago County, not Forest City
Winnebago County context, not Forest City figures
- Establishments in Winnebago County300
- Covered employment, Winnebago County4,041
- Average annual pay, Winnebago County$47,021
- Housing units permitted, Winnebago County4
Every figure in this section is published for Winnebago County as a whole and is not a measurement of Forest City.
All Winnebago County figures →
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages. US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Parcel detail, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Common questions
Forest City questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Forest City, Iowa?
4,290, in 1,653 households. Forest City city covers 4.59 square miles of land, which is 935 people per square mile. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
What county is Forest City in?
Forest City lies in more than one. By area it is 55.4 percent in Winnebago County, 44.6 percent in Hancock County. This page sits under Winnebago County because that county holds the largest share. The split is measured from the Census boundary of the place against the county boundaries.
What is the median household income in Forest City?
$69,205. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $143,500. Median gross rent is $720 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
How much SBA lending goes to Forest City businesses?
3 7(a) approvals totaling $313,500 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, median approval $85,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $772,000 since FY2010. These count approvals to borrowers whose address is in Forest City, not projects sited inside the place boundary, and they are approvals recorded in the release rather than loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans to Forest City borrowers get paid back?
No rate is published for Forest City. Only 3 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published. The counts are shown instead.
Is Forest City in the National Flood Insurance Program?
Yes. Forest City appears in the FEMA Community Status Book as Forest City, city of, community 190283, with no Community Rating System class, so no CRS discount applies. Whether a specific parcel sits in a mapped special flood hazard area is an address level question the platform answers.
Are the county figures on this page Forest City figures?
No, and they are labeled so. County Business Patterns, QCEW, the Building Permits Survey, BEA product and IRS migration are published for Winnebago County as a whole and there is no place level equivalent. They appear in one clearly marked section as context and are never presented as measurements of Forest City.
Is zoning published for Forest City?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning.
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