Median home value is about $154,500 — about 56% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).
Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $525 (about 55% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 84.7% (about 19.3 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).
To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 61741 in Forrest, IL, a household would need roughly $43,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $992. That sits below the local median household income ($82,375), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.