What it's like to live in Forney
Forney is a small city in Texas with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Forney deals with rent well above the national average, long average commutes, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Long commutes
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Forney compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Forney
Based on Forney's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,656
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $73,120 a year
- 58% of Forney renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$69,280
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $34,640
- Homes cost 3.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 29% above US
$1,828/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,828 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $346,400. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $346,400 · 58% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 19% below US
3.5% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.5%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 59% below US
136 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 568/100k · Forney Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 40% above US
36 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 36.4 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 95°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 38°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
37% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 37% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
13 public schools inside the boundary
There are 13 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Waco Mammoth National Monument (89 miles away).
Bottom line
Forney's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and long average commutes. A year of median rent ($1,828/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and people who dread long commutes.
Other places near Forney
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