Forest City is a city in Winnebago County, Iowa, home to about 4,290 people across 4.6 square miles. Its ZIP code is 50436.
Homes sold for a median of $96 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Mostly Forest City; also Leland
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Forest City. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Forest City’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)113 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Mason City Municipal Airport (MCW)17 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Minneapolis, MN118 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL318 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Forest City; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Forest City had 4,285 residents in the 2020 census, down 2% since 2000.
It’s the 98th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Winnebago County grew from 12,725 residents in 1900 to 10,679 in 2020.
Winnebago County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 81°F in summer, and winter lows average 6°F. About 35.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Forest City 2 Nne, IA weather station (about a mile away).
6,043 jobs at 300 businesses in Winnebago County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
31 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Forest City.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 3 |
|---|---|
| Dentists | 5 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 7 |
| Mental health providers | 2 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 9 |
| Optometrists | 2 |
| Chiropractors | 3 |
| Pharmacies | 3 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (8 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1855.
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Forest City Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest City Elementary SchoolForest City | Pre-K–4 | 448 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Forest City Middle SchoolForest City | 5–8 | 330 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Forest City High SchoolForest City | 9–12 | 304 | Public | 0.8 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Leland.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.