Forest County, Pennsylvania Income Statistics
Forest County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
-
F
Forest County Well below averageLeast wealthy county in Pennsylvania
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Forest County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $53,381 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $44,400 | $62,573 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 4.9% | 4.4% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 2.3% | 13.0% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 1.7% | 11.8% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Forest County is about 32% lower than in Pennsylvania. Income has been growing faster in Forest County (4.9%/yr) than in Pennsylvania (4.4%/yr).
About 2% of adults in Forest County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Forest County, Pennsylvania grew by 56.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $53,381 in 2024. That's an average of about 4.9% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Forest County
| Metric | Forest County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.635 | 0.537 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $47,811 | $71,585 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $45,937 | $57,854 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 3.9% | 19.2% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Forest County, it is 0.635, higher than Pennsylvania's 0.537, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 4% more than women's income in Forest County, Pennsylvania. Over a 35-year career, a 4% wage gap accumulates to roughly $65,590 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Forest County, Pennsylvania has narrowed from about 28% to 4% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 34% in 2019, and in 2015 women out-earned men by 1%. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $8,859 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Forest County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 2.5% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 13.3% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 18 | 22 | 22 |
Approximately 47 people are unemployed in Forest County, Pennsylvania.
The average commute time in Forest County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Pennsylvania.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Forest County, Pennsylvania has fallen from 9.5% to 2.5% in 2024.
Forest County, PA Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Forest County, PA is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 6,715 residents against a local median of 37,909. The measure that sets Forest County, PA apart most is unemployment: 2.5%, 51% below the local median of 5.1%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Income inequality tells the same story from another angle: 0.635 against a local median of 0.497, 28% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: unemployment runs ahead of the neighbourhood while income inequality runs behind it, so Forest County, PA is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves sit within 1.5% of each other on unemployment, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Forest County, PA, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Forest County, PA has the lowest unemployment of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest County, PA | 6,715 | $53,381 #6/6 | 4.9%/yr #1/6 | 2.5% #1/6 | 0.635 #6/6 |
| Warren County, PA | 37,909 | $60,660 | 3.8%/yr | 4.4% | 0.497 |
| Clarion County, PA | 37,179 | $62,370 | 4.8%/yr | 5.1% | 0.532 |
| Jefferson County, PA | 43,864 | $58,953 | 3.7%/yr | 4.2% | 0.506 |
| Venango County, PA | 49,798 | $61,779 | 4.4%/yr | 5.6% | 0.493 |
| Elk County, PA | 30,506 | $65,302 | 3.9%/yr | 5.6% | 0.474 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Forest County, Pennsylvania has an overall wealth index grade of F, making it worse than Pennsylvania, and worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Forest County, Pennsylvania.
How Rich Is Forest County, Pennsylvania?
Forest County has a wealth index grade of F. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; an F grade means residents are well below the U.S. average. The median household income is $53,381, about 32% lower than the Pennsylvania average of $78,249.
How fast is household income rising in Forest County, Pennsylvania?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Forest County, Pennsylvania rose 56%, from $34,133 to $53,381. Over the same years, income here kept pace with Pennsylvania as a whole: +56% against +57%.
What was the median household income in Forest County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Forest County, Pennsylvania was $50,090, up 9% from $46,044 in 2022. The Pennsylvania median that year was $76,230.
What was the median household income in Forest County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Forest County, Pennsylvania was $41,544. By 2024 it had risen 28% to $53,381.
Is it hard to find a job in Forest County, Pennsylvania?
Unemployment in Forest County, Pennsylvania is only 2.5%, well below the Pennsylvania rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What is the Gini coefficient in Forest County, Pennsylvania?
The Gini coefficient in Forest County is 0.635. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Forest County, Pennsylvania?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Forest County, Pennsylvania has narrowed from about 28% to 4% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 34% in 2019, and in 2015 women out-earned men by 1%. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $8,859 since 2009.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →