Forest is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2020 census, Forest had a population of 5,430. The population is a minority-majority.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Forest ranks

All →

#4Most conserved land in MS #27Lowest depression in MS #31Shortest commute in MS All MS rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code39074

Area code601

Living in Forest

Housing in Forest

$125K▲ 6.3% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Forest home is worth about $125,000, up 6.3% in a year, 37% below the Mississippi typical home.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Forest

C⁻

Safety Grade C-

Forest reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 77% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Forest 3.7

Mississippi 2.2

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Forest 9.9

Mississippi 13.1

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Forest

Full picture →

About one in 3 of Forest’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Morton (8%), Jackson (7%) and Sebastopol (3%). Half commute less than 15 miles.

Morton

Jackson

Sebastopol

Meridian

32%Work in townlive and work in Forest 15 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 6,785Jobs based herea job hub

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Forest →

Health in Forest

Health Grade D

Healthier than 5% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with Mississippi

1better than MS·13worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 18 are too close to call.

Conditions 1▲ 2▼ 9 close Habits 1▼ 3 close Care 3▼ 4 close Mind 3▼ 2 close Everyday needs 4▼ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

5.7%Fewer adults who have had cancerMS 7.6% · better 23.1%More uninsured adultsMS 11.5% · worse

Care nearby

S E Lackey Memorial HospitalForest · 0.5 mi · ER · rural critical access

Walnut Grove Medical ClinicWalnut Grove · 16.3 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Forest · CMS · HRSAHealth in Forest →

Natural hazards in Forest

Moderate

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 45% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🌪️ Tornadoes🧊 Hail

10Does Forest flood?paid flood claims since 1990 4Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Forest

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Forest →

Climate in Forest

Full climate →

Forest has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of.

59° / 36°Winter

76° / 51°Spring

90° / 68°Summer

77° / 52°Fall

How much snow does Forest get?Almost none.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Nov 2, with the last in spring around Mar 28.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+0.6° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Forest →

Schools in Forest

All Forest schools →

School Grade C

The public schools Forest’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 75% of Mississippi’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how Forest’s schools compare in MS →

DistrictForest Municipal School DistrictSchools4

Forest Elementary C+Elementary · Grades PK–4 · 740 students Hawkins Middle School CMiddle · Grades 5–8 · 460 students Forest High School CHigh · Grades 9–12 · 438 students Forest Scott Co Voc Tech CenterHigh · Grades 10–12

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within MS. Ratings are from neighbors.