Forest, VA vs Lynchburg, VA

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

MetricForest, VALynchburg, VA
Population13,43079,497
Median Household Income$81,552$57,947
Median Rent$1,315/mo$1,073/mo
Median Home Value$319,800$229,800
Cost of Living (US = 100)8989
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income50.2%49%
Poverty Rate9.6%18.6%
Unemployment Rate3.3% (county)4.3%
Violent Crime Rate /100k101*361
Property Crime Rate /100k478*1,666
Median AQI—30
Good AQI Days /yr——
Summer Highs84°F84°F
Winter Lows26°F26°F
Snowfall12 in/yr12 in/yr
Avg Commute21.9 min16.8 min
Hospitals—1
Avg Hospital Rating—3.0 / 5
Students per Teacher16.812.1
College Degree Rate45.6%38.5%
Foreign-Born %3.9%4.8%
Population Growth (2020–2025)—+3.0%

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 Forest (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.