Forest, WI housing market
Builders were permitted 1 new home in 2025.
Home values, sales, trends and how Forest compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
1 new home permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 1 new home in Forest in 2025. That's 0.8 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Wisconsin (4.3). Over the past 10 years, Forest has permitted 16 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Forest's population fell by 105 even though 20 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. Across Wisconsin: 1.3 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 1 | 1 | 0 | $278,000 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $278,000 |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $278,000 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2021 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2020 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $320,000 |
| 2018 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $840,000 |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $365,000 |
| 2015 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $400,000 |
| 2014 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $450,000 |
| 2013 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $267,000 |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $48,000 |
| 2010 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2009 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $350,000 |
| 2008 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $240,000 |
| 2007 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $55,000 |
| 2006 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $340,000 |
| 2005 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $320,000 |
| 2004 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $860,000 |
| 2003 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2002 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2001 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1 million |
| 2000 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $1.1 million |
Forest's permit office didn't report to the Census in 2025, so the 2025 figures are Census estimates.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Forest and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest | — | — | $1,110 | 1 | $112,904 |
| Greenbush | $430K | +7.5% | $1,040 | 2 | $87,031 |
| Empire | — | +7.3%† | $1,310 | 1 | $125,185 |
| Osceola | — | +8.9%† | $1,210 | 7 | $102,500 |
| Marshfield | — | — | $1,150 | 1 | $98,750 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
2.2 years of income
The typical Forest home costs about 2.2 years of the town's median household income, less than across Wisconsin (4.4 years).
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,110
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Forest is $1,110 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Forest pay a median of $1,058. A two-bedroom takes about 12% of the town's median household income.
Studio $770 · 4 bedrooms $1,570
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (53019, 53057, 53079, 54937; Fond du Lac, WI MSA), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
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. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.