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Is Forest Grove, OR a Good Place to Live?
Forest Grove is a small city of 26,160 in Oregon, with a median household income of $77,977 and a 4.3% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 107 (US average = 100), which is 7% above the national average.
Strengths: Forest Grove stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-).
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices. Whether Forest Grove is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Forest Grove city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 106.6Forest Grove's overall cost of living index is 106.6, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Forest Grove costs roughly 7% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Forest Grove, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $438,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,282 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 62.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $77,977 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageForest Grove's violent crime rate is 337.1 per 100,000 residents — 11% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Forest Grove is served primarily by Forest Grove SD 15. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17.2:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Forest Grove, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Forest Grove SD 15 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 7 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 17.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 33.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 88.1% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Forest Grove sees average highs of 45.0°F in January and 81.4°F in July, with 46.7 inches of annual precipitation and 2.7 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Forest Grove, OR |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 45.0°F |
| Average High — July | 81.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 46.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | 2.7" |
Demographics
| Metric | Forest Grove, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,160 | — |
| Median Age | 35.4 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.3% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 28.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 72.5% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 19.7% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 2.3% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 23.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 15.3% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Forest Grove
Forest Grove, OR is covered by 1 ZIP code: