Forest is a city in Scott County, Mississippi, home to about 5,357 people across 13 square miles. Its ZIP code is 39074.
Homes sold for a median of $109 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Mostly Forest; also Hillsboro and Harperville
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 | Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)169 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN)36 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | New Orleans, LA161 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Houston, TX392 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 5,430 residents in the 2020 census, down 9% since 2000.
It’s the 66th largest of 420 towns in Mississippi by population.
Scott County grew from 14,316 residents in 1900 to 27,990 in 2020.
Scott County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 90°F in summer, and winter lows average 33°F. About 61.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 1 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Raleigh 6n, MS weather station (15 miles away).
11,161 jobs at 458 businesses in Scott County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
69 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Forest.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 8 |
|---|---|
| Dentists | 8 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 24 |
| Mental health providers | 5 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 20 |
| Optometrists | 3 |
| Chiropractors | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 6 |
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 (3 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 2.5 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 1860.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Forest Municipal School District, Scott County School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest ElementaryForest | Pre-K–4 | 740 | Public | 2.0 mi |
| Scott Central Attendance CenterForest | Pre-K–12 | 856 | Public | 7.4 mi |
| Hawkins Middle SchoolForest | 5–8 | 460 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Forest High SchoolForest | 9–12 | 438 | Public | 1.9 mi |
| Forest Scott Co Voc Tech CenterForest | 10–12 | — | Career and Technical | 2.1 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 Hillsboro and Harperville.
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.