Is Forest Hill, TX a Good Place to Live?
Forest Hill is a small city of 13,810 in Texas, with a median household income of $58,713 and a 7.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 103 (US average = 100), which is 3% above the national average.
Strengths: Forest Hill stands out for below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Forest Hill is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Forest Hill 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: 103.3Forest Hill's overall cost of living index is 103.3, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Forest Hill costs roughly 3% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Forest Hill, TX | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $159,400 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,491 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 70.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $58,713 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeForest Hill's violent crime rate is 175.7 per 100,000 residents — 54% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | Forest Hill, TX | 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 | 12.1% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 72.6% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Forest Hill sees average highs of 57.9°F in January and 95.9°F in July, with 38.8 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Forest Hill, TX |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 57.9°F |
| Average High — July | 95.9°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 38.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Forest Hill, TX | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,810 | — |
| Median Age | 31.7 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 7.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 28.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 23.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 42.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 31.3% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 29.6% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 9.9% | 16.8% |