Census-designated place · Tompkins County, New York

Forest Home, New York

Forest Home is a census-designated place in Tompkins County, New York, part of the Ithaca, NY metro area. It has 1,303 residents. Forest Home, New York has a quality-of-life score of 60 out of 100 (high), ranking #6,224 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within New York it ranks #607 of 859 cities and towns. It ranks best on public transit commuters (high), public EV charging ports (high) and students per teacher (low). It ranks worst on income inequality (Gini index) (high), dental care shortage (high) and child care cost burden (high).

60High

Quality-of-life score: #6,224 of 15,651 cities and towns
New York: #607 of 859 in NY
Population: 1,303 (2020-2024)
Land area: 0 mi²
Density: 5,790.4 /mi²
FIPS code: 3626561

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety84#2,450/15,637
Economy25#11,651/15,631
Housing3#14,453/14,977
Health83#2,579/15,609
Healthcare54#7,271/15,650
Environment85#2,330/15,453
Education82#2,765/15,649
Infrastructure23#12,105/15,650
Community46#8,448/15,651
Leisure & amenities80#3,121/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Forest Home, New York ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Tompkins County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Public transit commuters · high19.6%
100/100New York 21.6%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Public EV charging ports · high25.3 /10k
98/100New York 10.8 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyTompkins County value
Students per teacher · low10.1×
98/100New York 12.0×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsTompkins County value
Preventable hospital stays · low1,615 /100k
95/100New York 2,733 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteTompkins County value
Hot days · low2 days
94/100New York 3 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationTompkins County value
Bachelor's degree or higher · high96.7%
91/100New York 40.2%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003

Weaknesses

Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.603
1/100New York 0.517United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Dental care shortage · high20.0
1/100New York 3.7United States 5.7Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationTompkins County value
Child care cost burden · high44.3%
2/100New York 37.7%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteTompkins County value
Mental health care shortage · high19.0
4/100New York 4.8United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationTompkins County value
Average commute time · high19.5 min
4/100New York 32.6 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013High uncertainty
Home price to income ratio · high8.5×
4/100New York 4.9×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
601 (2015-2019) → 1,303 (2020-2024)
+117%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateImproving
43.0% (2015-2019) → 12.9% (2020-2024)
−30 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
58.1% (2015-2019) → 74.4% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Poverty rateImproving
23.6% (2015-2019) → 10.8% (2020-2024)
−13 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
84.5% (2015-2019) → 96.7% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
5.8× (2015-2019) → 8.5× (2020-2024)
+46%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Forest Home, New York improved on 0 of 8 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 8 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 8 measures

Change of every measure of Forest Home, New York between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Bachelor's degree or higher	84.5%2015-2019	96.7%2020-2024	+12 points	Within the margin of error	94%
Broadband subscriptions	58.1%2015-2019	74.4%2020-2024	+16 points	Within the margin of error	83%
High school diploma or higher	98.6%2015-2019	99.8%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	49%
Home price to income ratio	5.8×2015-2019	8.5×2020-2024	+2.7×	Within the margin of error	2%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4962015-2019	0.6032020-2024	+0.107	Within the margin of error	4%
Median household income	$57,7502015-2019	$59,0182020-2024	+2.2%	Within the margin of error	9%
Public transit commuters	24.9%2015-2019	19.6%2020-2024	−5.3 points	Within the margin of error	6%
Rent as share of income	37.5%2015-2019	30.2%2020-2024	−7.3 points	Within the margin of error	89%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Forest Home, New York five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Forest Home, New York in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Forest Home, New York itself moved −0.2 points in standing on average over the same 7 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,303 residents (±354)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 40–49 men (−5.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,303 residents (±354)

Forest Home, New York
New York share

White30%†393
Black13%†173
Hispanic or Latino9.7%†

Education

840 residents (±260)

Forest Home, New York
New York share

No high school diploma0.2%†2
High school or GED0.5%†4
Some college0.2%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

457 households (±168)

Forest Home, New York
New York share

Under $25k16%†74
$25k–50k25%†114
$50k–75k20%†91
$75k–100k12%†55
$100k–150k3.7%†17
$150k–200k7.7%†35
$200k or more16%†71

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+7.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

457 households (±168)

Forest Home, New York
New York share

Own35%†161
Rent65%†296

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+9.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

259 households (±151)

Forest Home, New York
New York share

Under $7500.0%0
$750–1,0000.0%0
$1,000–1,50090%†232

Home values

161 homes (±64)

Forest Home, New York
New York share

Under $150k0.0%0
$150k–250k3.7%†6
$250k–400k2.5%†4

Age of homes

514 homes (±169)

Forest Home, New York
New York share

2010 or later2.9%†15
2000–200911%†56
1980–199932%†163

Size of homes

514 homes (±169)

Forest Home, New York
New York share

Studio2.9%†15
1 bedroom16%†82
2 bedrooms48%†246

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

602 workers (±209)

Forest Home, New York
New York share

Drive alone19%†117
Carpool6.6%†40
Public transit20%†118
Walk33%†197
Bike1.7%†10
Work from home20%†120
Other0.0%0

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

482 workers (±190)

Forest Home, New York
New York share

Under 15 min34%†166
15–29 min57%†273
30–44 min6.4%†31

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Ithaca, NY

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Tompkins County, the county holding most of Forest Home's residents.

Tompkins County has 2,230 employer establishments, 213 for every 10,000 residents (0.86× the US rate of 248; 0.78× New York's), with 50,869 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,629. The Census Bureau also counts 8,145 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,230; 8,145 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 213; US 248 · New York 274
Paid employees: 50,869
Average annual pay: $51,629; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Tompkins County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	192	18.4	1.00×About typical	3,000	$25,198	21
Ambulatory health care services	188	18	0.86×About typical	2,097	$78,237	548
Lessors of real estate	122	11.7	0.95×About typical	637	$50,024	795
Specialty trade contractors	99	9.5	0.61×Fewer than typical	634	$67,756	313
Full-service restaurants	90	8.6	1.12×About typical	1,586	$26,330	10
Offices of physicians	68	6.5	1.01×About typical	817	$111,984	97
Limited-service restaurants	64	6.1	0.76×Fewer than typical	869	$21,104	9
Religious organizations	62	5.9	1.07×About typical	357	$24,779	—
Construction of buildings	61	5.8	0.77×Fewer than typical	285	$54,481	170
Services to buildings and dwellings	61	5.8	0.87×About typical	310	$38,019	285
Offices of other health practitioners	57	5.5	0.90×About typical	259	$53,100	368
Schools, colleges and instruction	51	4.9	1.39×More than typical	22,515	$46,124	618

Rank places for an industry Open Tompkins County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 104,453 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Forest Home is mostly in Tompkins County.

See federal money in Tompkins County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Forest Home, New York is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Josh RileyD-NY-19 · 100% of residentsWith party 89%Missed 1.8%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Tompkins County84100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Ithaca, NY92

Other cities and towns in Tompkins County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

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