Forest Hills, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Forest Hills, MI Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A+
Health Top grade
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A+
Income Top grade
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Forest Hills | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,933 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 549.8 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.40% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.8 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,829 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Forest Hills grew by 16.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 27,933 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Forest Hills is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 25.1% of residents. That is 4.6 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,464 16.0% -5.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,541 19.8% -0.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,014 25.1% +4.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,559 16.3% -2.0 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Michigan, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.2% of the people living in Forest Hills and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 49.8% Michigan 49.5%
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Economy
Forest Hills has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | Forest Hills | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $157,738 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.89% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.1% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Forest Hills is about 116% higher than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Forest Hills | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $122,836 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,962 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 93.8% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Forest Hills is about 5.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,962 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Forest Hills spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 154 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Forest Hills | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.5 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.0 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 154 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,775 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 22.6% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 13,827 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,456 | 1,585 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Forest Hills is 18 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Michigan.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Forest Hills has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Forest Hills | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 67.6% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.83 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Health
Forest Hills has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Forest Hills | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 83.8 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 7.9% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 10.8% | 20.9% | 19.0% |
Forest Hills, MI Compared With Nearby Cities
How Forest Hills, MI compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Hills, MI | 27,933 | $157,738 #1/2 | $122,836 #1/2 | 18.5 min #2/2 |
| Kentwood, MI | 54,971 | $75,230 | $27,826 | 17.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Forest Hills, Michigan.
What is the population of Forest Hills, Michigan?
About 27,933 people live in Forest Hills, Michigan, in 9,829 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 42.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
How densely populated is Forest Hills, Michigan?
Averaged over its land area, Forest Hills, Michigan has 550 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 6.4 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Forest Hills, Michigan?
The median home costs 0.8 times the median household income ($122,836 against $157,738), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,962 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Forest Hills, Michigan?
Unemployment in Forest Hills, Michigan is only 1.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Forest Hills, Michigan have a college degree?
67.6% of adults in Forest Hills, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 7 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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