Housing in Forest

A typical Forest home is worth roughly $171,000

Typical home value

$171K

WI $267K

Estimate

2-bedroom rent

$1,120

a month, utilities in · HUD

Median tax bill

$2,167

WI $3,792

What stands out

What stands out about housing in Forest

32%of homes are seasonal or vacation homes

Affordability

What it takes to buy in Forest

Try your own numbers below.

You could afford about

$279,000

Typical Forest home $171K

That covers a typical Forest home, with $108K to spare.

The typical home, each month

$1,100

Loan $850Tax $200Insurance $50

A two-bedroom rents for about $1,120 a month here, $20 more than owning.

Where your budget reaches nearby

Viola$227K Bloom$231K Sylvan$207K

An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, the Wisconsin typical property tax (1.42% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.

Renting

A two-bedroom rents for about $1,120

Renters already here pay a median of $900, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.

Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included

Studio$770

1 bedroom$920

2 bedrooms$1,120

3 bedrooms$1,370

4 bedrooms$1,700

of households rent · WI 32%

renter households

$900

median rent paid today · Census

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Vernon County, WI HUD Metro FMR Area): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

The homes

95% of Forest households own their home

Half of Forest’s homes were built before 1985.

Owners and renters

Own 95%Rent 5%

Wisconsin: 68% own.

1985

typical home built · WI 1975

$2,167

median property tax bill · WI $3,792

32%

of homes are seasonal or vacation homes

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 · figures for a place this size carry wide margins of error.

Next door

Forest vs. its neighbors

Forest is the least expensive of 4 neighboring towns. Tap one to see its housing page.

Bloom$231K Viola$227K Sylvan$207K Forest$171K

Compare more

Town	Typical value	1-yr change	2-bed rent	New homes 2025	Median income
Forest	$171K*	—	$1,120	—	$67,813
Viola	$227K	+3.3%	$1,120	8	$88,214
Bloom	$231K*	+31.1%†	$980	—	$66,042
Sylvan	$207K*	+25.4%†	$1,030	—	$66,667
Stark	—	—	$970	2	$75,250
Liberty	—	—	$1,070	2	$73,594

Typical value: Zillow Home Value Index; * Census median home value where Zillow has none. † FHFA price index change where Zillow has none. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. New homes: Census building permits.

Neighbors talk housing

What Forest buyers, sellers and renters are saying.

Town Square →

Weigh in

Is Forest still affordable for young families?

Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.

Start the conversation

Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer.