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Cost & Benefits

Cost of living in Forest, Virginia

Simple answer

Typical rent is $1,315 a month.

Forest is a Census community, not a separate city government in Virginia. That rent number includes utilities. A typical household earns $81,552 a year.

Is Forest affordable?See benefits in Forest
People
13,430
Census average, 2020–2024
Typical rent
$1,315
Median gross rent, includes utilities
Typical pay
$81,552
Median household income, yearly
Typical home
$319,800
Median home value
2-bedroom fair rent
$1,117
Lynchburg, VA MSA

Forest, Virginia has about 13,430 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.

A typical home is worth about $319,800.

HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Bedford County is $1,117 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Forest. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.

In the Lynchburg, VA metro area, prices sit at 89.4 when the U.S. average is 100. That is a 2024 BEA index.

Virginia taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 5.8% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Forest's exact store tax.

In July 2026, a typical Virginia home paid 17.55¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Forest's bill.

EIA did not publish a 2025 all-grades gas price for Virginia in the table we use.

Among 343 places we list in Virginia with a rent figure, 184 have higher typical rent than Forest.

Nearby places

EBT nearby

USDA has a live map of stores that take SNAP. We did not copy that store list here. The downloadable file is a history file for 2005 through 2025, so the live map is the one to use.

Find SNAP stores near ForestWhat EBT can buy in Virginia

Locator page updated 2026-09-11. Last checked 2026-10-16.

Food stamps (SNAP) tools in Virginia

Bigger places in Virginia

Census 2020-2024. HUD rents for October 2026–September 2027. BEA prices for 2024. Taxes as of January 1, 2026. Checked 2026-10-16. 15,000 places are in this guide.