Cave Spring, VA vs Forest, VA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricCave Spring, VAForest, VA
Population25,74213,430
Median Household Income$87,539$81,552
Median Rent$1,285/mo$1,315/mo
Median Home Value$325,800$319,800
Cost of Living (US = 100)9489
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income37.8%50.2%
Poverty Rate5.9%9.6%
Unemployment Rate3.1% (county)3.3% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k158*101*
Property Crime Rate /100k974*478*
Median AQI37—
Good AQI Days /yr306—
Summer Highs86°F84°F
Winter Lows30°F26°F
Snowfall15 in/yr12 in/yr
Avg Commute20 min21.9 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher14.616.8
College Degree Rate48.8%45.6%
Foreign-Born %11.3%3.9%
Population Growth (2020–2025)0.0%—

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
* Rate of the agency that polices both cities (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.