Forest Hill receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lancaster
Forest Hill
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 24%
vs52 · Bottom 41%
Growth
50 · Bottom 49%
vs51 · Top 49%
Climate
68 · Bottom 41%
vs68 · Bottom 41%
Physical resilience
52 · Bottom 45%
vs56 · Bottom 48%
Housing affordability
66 · Bottom 28%
vs71 · Bottom 35%
Access
94 · Top 40%
vs92 · Top 50%
Economic stability
57 · Bottom 44%
vs49 · Bottom 30%
Measured values
| Metric | Lancaster | Forest Hill | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,820 | 14,062 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,302 | $68,457 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,689 | $25,326 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,235/sq mi | 3,371/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $246,300 | $187,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,704 | $1,763 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.1% | 72.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.3% | 14.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.0% | 14.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 59 | 8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 0.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 103.4% | 166.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 96°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.7" | 36.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 18 mi | 21 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.0 min | 32.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.7 | 37.2 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Lancaster
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Forest Hill
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Lancaster
56
Your Score
52
Area Score
Forest Hill
63
Your Score
60
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Lancaster, TX · Forest Hill, TX · How this is calculated: methodology