Signals
Forest
Lynchburg
Opportunity
61 · Top 40%
vs38 · Bottom 15%
Climate
75 · Top 30%
vs75 · Top 30%
Physical resilience
71 · Top 35%
vs83 · Top 19%
Housing affordability
87 · Top 39%
vs79 · Bottom 48%
Schools
79 · Top 16%
vs43 · Bottom 39%
Access
36 · Bottom 1%
vs34 · Bottom 1%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 48%
vs34 · Bottom 11%
Measured values
| Metric | Forest | Lynchburg | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,430 | 79,497 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $81,552 | $57,947 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,177 | $29,937 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 987/sq mi | 1,625/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $319,800 | $229,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,315 | $1,073 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.9% | 48.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.6% | 38.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.6% | 18.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 87°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 42.8" | 42.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 95 mi | 99 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.3 min | 18.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.2 | 28.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 29 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.04 | 12.85 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 73.1% | 43.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 80.7% | 59.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 22.6% | 87.8% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: Forest, VA · Lynchburg, VA · How this is calculated: methodology