Population & age
- Total population
- 67
- Median age
- 19.3
Forest, LA (71242)
West Carroll Parish · Population 67
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 27, 2026
Forest, LA (ZIP 71242) sits in West Carroll Parish. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 27. Health-survey coverage is limited for this ZIP. NCES lists 1 schools serving the area, 1 non-charter. 10 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $8,437. Local establishments report average pay of $27,429 per worker (Census ZBP) — below the US average. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $42,812 per worker, roughly 35% below the US average. BLS LAUS records a 7.4% county unemployment rate (2024) — about 3.4 points above the US average and a labor-market distress signal. FEMA has issued 31 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1977 — a high-frequency exposure profile. Annual precipitation averages 58.8" — a wet-climate ZCTA per NOAA's 1991–2020 Normals. County Health Rankings reports 12,774 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. USDA's Food Environment Atlas shows a strong food retail environment in this county — only 4.7% of residents are low-access and grocery density is above the national county median. New residents arriving here predominantly come from Ouachita Parish, LA (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Both healthcare access and on-paper school density skew lighter than national norms; what shows up here is a snapshot, not a verdict — neighborhood-level texture matters at this scale. Notable: median household income $36,667, fair market rent of $830 for a two-bedroom, and a low 3.0% poverty rate. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
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Demographics
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 100.0%
- Black
- 0.0%
- Asian
- 0.0%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 0.0%
Income & housing
- Median household income
- $36,667
Education
- Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)
- 23.5%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 65.5%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 6(50.0%)
- Renter-occupied
- 6(50.0%)
- Vacant units
- 0
- Built (median)
- 1985
Commute
- Public transit
- 0(0.0%)
- Work from home
- 4(40.0%)
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 2(3.0%)
- Uninsured
- 0(0.0%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 12(100.0%)
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 0(0.0%)
- Non-English at home
- 0(0.0%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$610
/month
1 Bed
$640
/month
2 Bed
$830
/month
3 Bed
$1,100
/month
4 Bed
$1,150
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
New housing construction
New housing units permitted
0
Across 0 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $0.
Single-family
0
Multifamily (2+ unit)
0
Single-family value
$0
construction value
Multifamily value
$0
construction value
Based on county-level data (2024).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (census.gov/construction/bps). Public domain. BPS reports annual residential building permits from local permit-issuing jurisdictions, aggregated to county. A permit reflects intent to build, not a completed unit — actual construction lags by 6-24 months for multifamily projects.
Business & employment
Business establishments
5
Total employment
42
Annual payroll
$1.2M
Average annual pay
$27,429
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Business Patterns (census.gov). Public domain. ZBP covers establishments with paid employees; Census suppresses employment and payroll values when fewer employers operate in a ZIP than would protect their confidentiality.
Employment & wages
Average annual pay
$42,812
Average weekly wage
$823
Total employment
1,997
Total establishments
236
That is roughly 35% below the US national average of $65,470 per worker.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (bls.gov/cew). Public domain. QCEW is derived from state unemployment-insurance filings and covers ~95% of US jobs. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches; small-employer cells are suppressed by BLS to protect employer confidentiality.
Unemployment
Unemployment rate
7.4%
That is 3.4 percentage points above the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
3,662
Employed
3,391
Unemployed
271
Based on West Carroll Parish, LA data (2024).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (bls.gov/lau). Public domain. LAUS publishes monthly and annual labor-force estimates for every US county. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches.
Federal Disaster Declarations
Federally Declared Disasters
31
Date Range
1977–2026
Most Recent Declaration
SEVERE WINTER STORM
Winter Storm — declared February 18, 2026 (DR-4900)
Incident period: January 23, 2026 – January 27, 2026
Top Incident Types
- Hurricane16 (52%)
- Flood3 (10%)
- Winter Storm2 (6%)
- Coastal Storm2 (6%)
- Severe Ice Storm2 (6%)
- Other6 (19%)
Individual Assistance
4
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
4
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
29
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
12
Funding to reduce future disaster risk
FEMA declares disasters at the county level; counts here include every federally declared disaster touching any county that overlaps this ZIP. Statewide declarations and pre-1964 records without county granularity are excluded. Program flags reflect which FEMA assistance categories were activated (Individual Assistance, Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation). Source: fema.gov/openfema. Public domain.
Climate
30-year averages (1991-2020) from the nearest GHCN-D weather station. Temperature and precipitation values reflect typical annual conditions, not any single year.
Avg. temperature
64.6°F
54.9° – 74.2°
Annual precipitation
58.8"
Annual snowfall
0.5"
Heating · cooling days
2,474.2 · 2,345.5
Annual base 65°F
Nearest station: LAKE PROVIDENCE, LA US, 14 miles from the centroid of Forest, LA (ZIP 71242)
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals (ncei.noaa.gov). Public domain.
Community health profile
Years of potential life lost (per 100K)
12,774
That is roughly 4,574 years per 100,000 above the national county median (~8,200).
Premature death is the headline composite outcome CHR reports — age-adjusted, all-cause, before age 75.
Fair or poor health
27%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
5.3
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
6.7
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
9.0%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
52
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
6,751
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
7.3
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
32%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
30%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 10.2% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on West Carroll data (2025 CHR release).
Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (countyhealthrankings.org). Annual release. Underlying source datasets vary by measure (CDC BRFSS, NCHS Vital Statistics, AHA, USDA Food Environment Atlas, and others). Figures are county-level and assigned to every ZIP whose primary county matches.
Food access
Food access status
Good food access — most residents near a store
4.7% of West Carroll County, LA residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
0.28
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
—
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
1.33
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
0.85
per 1,000 residents
Per-1,000 figures show how many of each store type exist in West Carroll County, LA for every 1,000 residents. Higher grocery and supercenter density usually means easier access to fresh food; higher convenience-store-only density (with low grocery rate) often signals a food swamp.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Environment Atlas (ers.usda.gov). County-level metrics fanned to ZIP via the primary county in the Census ZCTA-county relationship file. Variable years differ per family (stores ~2020, low-access ~2019).
Safety
FBI publishes crime data at the county level. Numbers below cover the primary county that contains this ZIP. Rates are per 100,000 residents in the area covered by reporting agencies.
Violent crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 8 reports
Property crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 30 reports
Homicide
0
Robbery
0
Burglary
7
Vehicle theft
2
County-level data for West Carroll (2024)
Source: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program (cde.ucr.cjis.gov). Public domain. Coverage varies by reporting agency; areas with partial agency coverage may understate true crime totals.
Who’s moving in and out
Net migration (2022-2023)
▲+4 people
−18 households • −$1.4M net AGI flow
Moved in
233households
475 people • $8.3M AGI
Moved out
251households
471 people • $9.7M AGI
Where new residents came from
- Ouachita Parish, LA — 32 households
- East Carroll Parish, LA — 20 households
Where departing residents went
- Ouachita Parish, LA — 35 households
- Richland Parish, LA — 21 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $35,541 versus departing households' $38,681.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income, Migration Data (irs.gov). Public domain. Migration is measured by year-over-year changes in the address on individual tax returns; figures are county-level totals attributed to ZIPs whose primary county matches. Foreign migration contributes to inflow/outflow totals but does not appear in the top-county lists. Small flows are suppressed by IRS to protect taxpayer confidentiality.
Taxes & benefits in Louisiana
State-level rules that apply to every resident of ZIP 71242. Numbers reflect the most recent published year per source.
Tax rates
Income tax
3.00%
flat · 1 brackets
Sales tax (combined)
10.11%
State 5.00% · avg local 5.11%
Property tax (effective)
0.31%
Median $323/year
Tax burden rank
7 of 50
8.90% of personal income
Paid family leave
Program
No program
No program
Safety net
SNAP eligibility
130% FPL
Federal 130% FPL gross income limit. Asset limit $3,000.
Sources: Tax Foundation (state tax rates & brackets), Bipartisan Policy Center (paid family leave), USDA FNS (SNAP categorical eligibility).
Other ZIPs near 71242
Nearby ZIPs by distance
71263 (Oak Grove, 5.6 mi) · 71266 (Pioneer, 6.7 mi) · 71254 (Lake Providence, 10.4 mi) · 71286 (14.5 mi) · 71237 (Epps, 14.6 mi) · 71250 (14.8 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
Data sources used on this page
All data on this page is sourced from federal government datasets · Not AI-generated · Methodology
Schools in this ZIP
1 school serves this ZIP, including 1 non-charter.
| School | Type | Grades | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest School | Public | -1–12 | 512 |
Schools listed from NCES Common Core of Data via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal.
Fresh.NCES CCD via Urban Institute EDP · Apr 27, 2026Colleges & universities nearby
Colleges in this area
10
Median in-state tuition
$8,437
Median earnings (10 yr)
$23,964
- 4-Year
Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, LA · 71272
- In-state tuition
- $10,125
- Out-of-state tuition
- $16,866
- Acceptance rate
- 86.4%
- Graduation rate
- 60.9%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $52,279
- Median student debt
- $22,135
- 4-Year
University of Louisiana at Monroe
Monroe, LA · 71209
- In-state tuition
- $9,190
- Out-of-state tuition
- $21,290
- Acceptance rate
- 84.8%
- Graduation rate
- 52.4%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $46,769
- Median student debt
- $21,500
- 4-Year
Grambling State University
Grambling, LA · 71245
- In-state tuition
- $7,683
- Out-of-state tuition
- $16,706
- Acceptance rate
- 44.9%
- Graduation rate
- 34.2%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $41,109
- Median student debt
- $36,500
- 2-Year
Louisiana Delta Community College
Monroe, LA · 71203
- In-state tuition
- $4,159
- Out-of-state tuition
- $4,159
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 29.0%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $30,438
- Median student debt
- $12,500
- Certificate
Cloyd's Beauty School 3 Inc
Monroe, LA · 71201
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 58.8%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $15,105
- Median student debt
- —
- Certificate
Unitech Training Academy-West Monroe
West Monroe, LA · 71291
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 65.1%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $24,707
- Median student debt
- $8,721
- Certificate
Celebrity Stylist Beauty School
Monroe, LA · 71201
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- —
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $22,002
- Median student debt
- $9,500
- Certificate
Cloyd's Beauty School 1 Inc
West Monroe, LA · 71291
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 55.6%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $18,603
- Median student debt
- —
- Certificate
Cloyd's Barber School 2 Inc
Monroe, LA · 71201
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- —
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $23,220
- Median student debt
- —
- Certificate
Celebrity Barber School
Monroe, LA · 71201
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- —
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $22,002
- Median student debt
- $9,500
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov). Public domain data. Earnings figures reflect median earnings 10 years after entry for federally-aided students.
What these numbers say together
Forest, LA (ZIP 71242) sits in West Carroll Parish. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 27. Health-survey coverage is limited for this ZIP. NCES lists 1 schools serving the area, 1 non-charter. 10 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $8,437. Local establishments report average pay of $27,429 per worker (Census ZBP) — below the US average. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $42,812 per worker, roughly 35% below the US average. BLS LAUS records a 7.4% county unemployment rate (2024) — about 3.4 points above the US average and a labor-market distress signal. FEMA has issued 31 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1977 — a high-frequency exposure profile. Annual precipitation averages 58.8" — a wet-climate ZCTA per NOAA's 1991–2020 Normals. County Health Rankings reports 12,774 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. USDA's Food Environment Atlas shows a strong food retail environment in this county — only 4.7% of residents are low-access and grocery density is above the national county median. New residents arriving here predominantly come from Ouachita Parish, LA (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Both healthcare access and on-paper school density skew lighter than national norms; what shows up here is a snapshot, not a verdict — neighborhood-level texture matters at this scale. Notable: median household income $36,667, fair market rent of $830 for a two-bedroom, and a low 3.0% poverty rate. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
Both surfaces skew lighter than national averages. That isn’t a verdict — small-area estimates compress real neighborhood-level texture, and a single ZIP reading can miss a district line or a hospital corridor sitting just outside it. Treat this as a starting point for fieldwork, not a conclusion.
Each figure on this page links to the original federal dataset with its retrieval date — this synthesis is a reading, not a substitute for the underlying records.
Frequently Asked Questions — ZIP 71242
How many schools are in ZIP 71242?
1 school serves this ZIP, including 1 public school (NCES CCD, retrieved Apr 27, 2026). No charter schools are listed in this ZIP by NCES CCD.
Does ZIP 71242 have charter schools?
No charter schools are listed in ZIP 71242 by NCES CCD (retrieved Apr 27, 2026).
Are there high schools in ZIP 71242?
Yes, 1 high school serves this ZIP: Forest School. (NCES CCD, retrieved Apr 27, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 71242?
67 people live in ZIP 71242, with a median age of 19.3 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the median household income in ZIP 71242?
$36,667 per year (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
Is ZIP 71242 mostly renters or homeowners?
In ZIP 71242, 50.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 50.0% are renter-occupied (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 71242?
In ZIP 71242, 40.0% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 0.0% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP 71242?
3.0% of the population in ZIP 71242 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What percentage of households in ZIP 71242 have broadband internet?
100.0% of households in ZIP 71242 have broadband internet access (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How many businesses are in ZIP 71242?
As of 2022, 5 business establishments operated in ZIP 71242 employing 42 workers (Census ZIP Business Patterns, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the average salary in ZIP 71242?
The average annual pay across all local establishments in ZIP 71242 is $27,429, based on Census ZIP Business Patterns 2022 data (retrieved May 3, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 71242 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 71242 ranks in the 35th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a moderate vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 71242?
Household Characteristics is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 71242, ranking in the 50th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 71242 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 31 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 71242 between 1977–2026 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 71242?
Hurricane is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 71242, accounting for 16 of 31 declarations (52%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 71242?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 71242 was "SEVERE WINTER STORM" — a winter storm declared in 2026 (DR-4900) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What colleges are near ZIP 71242?
10 colleges and universities are listed near ZIP 71242 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including Louisiana Tech University, University Of Louisiana At Monroe, and Grambling State University (retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the average tuition at colleges near ZIP 71242?
Median in-state tuition across 10 nearby institutions is $8,437 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What do graduates earn from colleges near ZIP 71242?
Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $23,964 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the climate like in ZIP 71242?
ZIP 71242 has an average annual temperature of 64.6°F and 58.8" of annual precipitation based on the LAKE PROVIDENCE, LA US weather station 14.0 miles from the ZIP centroid (NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, retrieved May 8, 2026).
What taxes apply in ZIP 71242?
Louisiana has a flat income tax with a top rate of 3.00%. Combined sales tax: 10.11% (Tax Foundation 2025).
Does Louisiana have paid family leave?
Louisiana has no state paid family leave program (Bipartisan Policy Center 2026).
What data is available for ZIP 71242?
This page covers school information from NCES CCD (1 school), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), colleges from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (10 institutions), local business & employment from Census ZIP Business Patterns (2022), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (31 on record), climate normals from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020), county-level crime data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024), and state-level tax rates from the Tax Foundation. Data is refreshed on Mubboo's standard schedule.
How current is this data?
School data retrieved Apr 27, 2026 from NCES CCD. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022). College data retrieved May 2, 2026 from U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard. Business & employment retrieved May 3, 2026 from Census ZBP (2022). Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (31 on record). Climate normals retrieved May 8, 2026 from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020). County-level crime data retrieved May 4, 2026 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024). State-level tax rates retrieved 2026-05-05 15:58:22.284+00 from the Tax Foundation.
Other ZIPs near 71242
Nearby ZIPs by distance
71263 (Oak Grove, 5.6 mi) · 71266 (Pioneer, 6.7 mi) · 71254 (Lake Providence, 10.4 mi) · 71286 (14.5 mi) · 71237 (Epps, 14.6 mi) · 71250 (14.8 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
More Info topics
Have a specific question about ZIP 71242?
Ask Mubboo — launching Q4 2026.
Data refreshed via Mubboo's ETL pipeline; oldest source on this page retrieved Apr 27, 2026.
Social Vulnerability Index
Overall SVI
35th percentile
Moderate Vulnerability
Based on 1 census tract, population 1
Vulnerability Themes
The Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. Census data to identify communities most at risk during public health emergencies and natural disasters. Higher percentiles indicate greater vulnerability. Tract-level scores are aggregated to this ZCTA via Census 2020 ZCTA→Tract crosswalk, weighted by land-area share. Source: atsdr.cdc.gov. Public domain.