Forest City: Housing & Real Estate
The median Forest City home is valued at $143,500 (estimated market value runs 13% higher at $161,482), with median rent $720 (about the same as Winnebago County median $717; 1.4× below Iowa median $972). Homeownership rate: 66.7%. That's 1.1× higher than the Winnebago County median ($135,000); 1.4× below the Iowa median ($208,000). Market is warm. Vacancy rate 12.1%. New construction makes up 1.7% of stock. 2 nursing facilities on file. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 2.1× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs Iowa 2.8×).
- 16.6 years to break even renting at the median (vs Iowa 16y).
- 4-BR rent is 2.3× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent 21% below HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $143,500 — 0.8× the Iowa median ($187,100). Median rent $720/month. homeownership rate 66.7% — near the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Home Price To Income | 2.1× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Home Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Rent Pct Income | 12.5% |
| Affordability · Rent Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Pct Severely Rent Burdened | 30.0% |
| Affordability · Poverty Rate | 12.4% |
| Affordability · Property Tax Pct Income | 3.3% |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $682 (vs Iowa $774) |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $745 (vs Iowa $816) |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $919 (vs Iowa $1,071) |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $1,170 (vs Iowa $1,490) |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $1,542 (vs Iowa $1,797) |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Hancock County, IA |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $161,482 |
| Median Home Value | $143,500 (vs Iowa $187,100) |
| Median Rent | $720 (vs Iowa $967) |
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023, B25077 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Tenure & Occupancy
Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing units, plus vacancy rates.
| Housing Market · Market temperature | warm |
|---|---|
| Housing Market · Vacancy rate | 12.1% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 1.7% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | 5.2% |
Utilities
Electricity, water, and broadband infrastructure serving residents. Broadband percentages reflect the share of premises that can subscribe to service at the listed speed (FCC Form 477).
Facilities (2)
Systems (1)
| Broadband · % of premises with 25/3 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Iowa median) |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Iowa median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Iowa median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (vs Iowa 73.1%) |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 2,079 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 13.40¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 1448818 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $1,939 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0.000000000 |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at Iowa median) |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at Iowa median) |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Charging & Mobility
| Ev Charging · Stations | 7 |
|---|---|
| Ev Charging · Public Stations | 7 |
| Ev Charging · L2 Ports | 5 |
| Ev Charging · Dc Fast Ports | 4 |
Sources: DOE AFDC API
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 66.7% (vs Iowa 67.5%) |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1971 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12