Population
Hershey
14,334
Forest
12,476
Median Income
Hershey
$78,750
Forest
$78,825
Home Value
Hershey
$339,300
Forest
$319,100
Rent
Hershey
$1,241
Forest
$1,112
Crime Rate
Hershey
N/A
Forest
N/A
Cost of Living
Hershey
125.6
Forest
120.2
Avg Temp
Hershey
N/A
Forest
N/A
Unemployment
Hershey
4.4%
Forest
3.9%
How Similar Are Hershey & Forest?
Forest is Hershey's #16 most similar city
5 of 8 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Hershey
14,334
Forest
12,476
Hershey has a 13% larger population than Forest.
Political Leaning
Hershey
46.5%
Forest
74.8%
Hershey leans Democratic while Forest leans Republican.
Unemployment
Hershey
4.4%
Forest
3.9%
Hershey has a 11% higher unemployment than Forest.
Median Income
Hershey
$78,750
Forest
$78,825
Both cities have similar median income — just a 0% difference.
Home Values
Hershey
$339,300
Forest
$319,100
Both cities have similar home values — just a 6% difference.
Education
Hershey
35.2%
Forest
33.9%
Both cities have similar education — just a 4% difference.
Demographics
Hershey
73.0%
Forest
77.3%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 6% difference.
Cost of Living
Hershey
125.6
Forest
120.2
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 4% difference.
5 out of 8 key metrics match within 10%. Hershey and Forest share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Hershey
0
Forest
Cost of Living & Affordability — Forest leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDHershey scores 83.8 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 120.5 in Forest. Forest has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,187 vs $1,493 in Hershey (26% lower). Forest scores 130.0 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 159.6 in Hershey.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Forest leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSForest has a median property tax of $1,387 vs $4,755 in Hershey (243% lower). Forest has a vacancy rate of 2.0% compared to 3.4% in Hershey. Forest has a owner-occupied of 75.0% compared to 54.9% in Hershey.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Forest leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSHershey has a work from home of 21.7% compared to 16.0% in Forest. Hershey: 8,155 vs Forest: 6,218 for labor force. Forest has a poverty rate of 7.5% compared to 9.0% in Hershey.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety
Source: FBI UCRViolent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Hershey leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauHershey has a bachelor's degree or higher of 35.2% compared to 33.9% in Forest. Hershey has a high school diploma or higher of 46.9% compared to 46.2% in Forest.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSHershey has a population of 14,334, about 1.1x the size of Forest (12,476). Forest skews younger with a median age of 42.1 vs 45.2.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Hershey
Forest
Healthcare — Hershey leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareHershey: 4.5 vs Forest: 3.6 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Hershey leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSHershey has a work from home of 21.7% compared to 16.0% in Forest. Forest has a drive alone of 77.1% compared to 68.1% in Hershey.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Hershey, PA
Compare Hershey against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.