Fort Thomas receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Fort Thomas
Forest Park
Opportunity
64 · Top 33%
vs71 · Top 21%
Growth
29 · Bottom 16%
vs19 · Bottom 7%
Climate
69 · Bottom 46%
vs64 · Bottom 32%
Physical resilience
76 · Top 29%
vs89 · Top 12%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 13%
vs94 · Top 22%
Access
98 · Top 20%
vs94 · Top 41%
Economic stability
76 · Top 15%
vs70 · Top 30%
Measured values
| Metric | Fort Thomas | Forest Park | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,169 | 20,025 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $104,350 | $75,956 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $54,407 | $32,344 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,026/sq mi | 3,105/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $335,000 | $190,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,126 | $1,306 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.2% | 54.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.2% | 0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 55.3% | 26.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.1% | 10.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 6 | 0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.4" | 41.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.9 min | 25.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.8 | 36.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 3 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.51 | 15.29 | 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
Fort Thomas
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Forest Park
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Fort Thomas
75
Your Score
72
Area Score
Forest Park
72
Your Score
70
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Fort Thomas, KY · Forest Park, OH · How this is calculated: methodology