Median Income
$82,962
household / year
Median Home Value
$171,300
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$991
gross / month
Cost of Living
94
national avg = 100

Is Forest Hills, PA a Good Place to Live?

Forest Hills is a small town of 6,397 in Pennsylvania, with a median household income of $82,962 and a 8.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 94 (US average = 100), which is 6% below the national average.

Strengths: Forest Hills stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, a well-educated population.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Forest Hills is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Forest Hills 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: 94.4

Forest Hills's overall cost of living index is 94.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Forest Hills costs roughly 6% less than the average American city.

Metric Forest Hills, PA National Avg
Median Home Value $171,300 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $991 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 70.0% 65.9%
Median Household Income $82,962 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Very Safe

Forest Hills's violent crime rate is 102.6 per 100,000 residents — 73% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
102.6 /100k
Property Crime
805.9 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Metric Forest Hills, PA National Avg
School District N/A —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio N/A 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 60.3% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 98.3% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Forest Hills sees average highs of 37.6°F in January and 84.0°F in July, with 40.6 inches of annual precipitation and 25.0 inches of snow per year.

MetricForest Hills, PA
Average High — January37.6°F
Average High — July84.0°F
Annual Precipitation40.6"
Annual Snowfall25.0"

Demographics

MetricForest Hills, PANational Avg
Population6,397—
Median Age44.738.9
Unemployment Rate8.2%3.7%
Avg Commute Time29.1 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)80.3%59.3%
Black or African American13.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino2.3%18.9%
Asian0.9%6.3%
Under 1813.2%22.2%
65 and over22.9%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Forest Hills vs Other Cities

Frequently Asked Questions

Forest Hills's cost of living index is 94, where 100 is the national average. That makes Forest Hills roughly 6% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage. The median home price is $171,300 and median rent is $991/month.
Forest Hills's violent crime rate is 102.6 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 805.9 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Forest Hills, PA has a population of 6,397, a median household income of $82,962, and an unemployment rate of 8.2%. It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Forest Hills averages 37.6°F in January and 84.0°F in July. Annual rainfall is 40.6 inches with about 25.0 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
The population of Forest Hills, Pennsylvania is 6,397 with a median age of 44.7. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Forest Hills: cost of living index 94 (100 = US average), median home $171,300, median household income $82,962, crime index 32 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Forest Hills side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.