Forest is a village in West Carroll Parish, Louisiana, home to about 486 people across 1.7 square miles. Its ZIP code is 71242, and parts of 71263 and 71266 are in Forest too.
Homes sold for a median of $149 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 0 of 2 were seller’s markets.
All in Forest
Part is in Forest, part in Oak Grove and Kilbourne
Mostly Pioneer; part is in Forest
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Forest. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Forest’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Frederick W. Smith International Airport (MEM)172 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Monroe Regional Airport (MLU)43 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Memphis, TN176 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Houston, TX316 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Forest; 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 had 304 residents in the 2020 census, up 11% since 2000.
It’s the 361st largest of 487 towns in Louisiana by population.
West Carroll Parish grew from 3,685 residents in 1900 to 9,751 in 2020.
West Carroll Parish, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 91°F in summer, and winter lows average 36°F. About 58.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 1 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Lake Providence, LA weather station (16 miles away).
1,474 jobs at 167 businesses in West Carroll Parish. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
Nearest hospitals
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances.
Grocery stores
Libraries
Counts are within about 1 mile 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.
Public schools here are run by West Carroll Parish. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest SchoolForest | Pre-K–12 | 460 | Public | 5.3 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 Oak Grove, Pioneer and Kilbourne.
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.