Signals
Forest
Madison Heights
Opportunity
61 · Top 40%
vs48 · Bottom 33%
Climate
75 · Top 30%
vs75 · Top 30%
Physical resilience
71 · Top 35%
vs65 · Top 43%
Housing affordability
87 · Top 39%
vs98 · Top 13%
Schools
79 · Top 16%
vs38 · Bottom 33%
Access
36 · Bottom 1%
vs34 · Bottom 1%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 48%
vs55 · Bottom 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Forest | Madison Heights | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,430 | 10,266 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $81,552 | $60,215 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,177 | $33,871 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 987/sq mi | 535/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $319,800 | $191,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,315 | $871 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.9% | 71.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.6% | 17.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.6% | 10.5% | 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 | 98 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.3 min | 24.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.2 | 44.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.04 | 12.87 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 73.1% | 41.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 80.7% | 55.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 22.6% | 83.3% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Forest
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Madison Heights
Elevated or high exposure: lightning.
Your best match
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Forest
67
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Madison Heights
59
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Full profiles: Forest, VA · Madison Heights, VA · How this is calculated: methodology