HomeMississippiForrest County
Forrest County, Mississippi: commercial real estate data.
Forrest County, Mississippi has a population of 78,272 across 466 square miles, up 0.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $4.84 bn in 2024, 1,741 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 70 7(a) approvals worth $22.8 m.
120 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Forrest County
How many people live in Forrest County
- Population78,272
- Households30,127
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$53,640
- Median age32.0
- Median gross rent$972 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$168,000
- Home value to household income3.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income21.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher30.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over47,489
- Population under 1817,773
- Share under 1822.7 percent
- Population 65 and over10,751
- Share 65 and over13.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6449,748
- Civilian labor force38,911
- Unemployment rate6.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.3 percent
- Rank by population among Mississippi counties8th of 82
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents739th
Forrest County is the 8th largest of 82 Mississippi counties by population. A median home costs 3.1 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.7 percent against 13.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Forrest County
Is Forrest County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.33 percent
- Census 2020 base population78,177
- Births, 2024991
- Deaths, 2024881
- Natural change, 2024110
- Net domestic migration, 2024-306
- Net international migration, 2024200
- Total net migration, 2024-106
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-638
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1709th
The county has grown 0.33 percent since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Forrest County
Where people moving to Forrest County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,564
- People arriving, from those returns4,727
- Adjusted gross income arriving$134.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$52,462
- Largest single originForrest County Non-migrants (23,573 households)
- Largest single destination (23,573 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forrest County Non-migrants | 23,573 | 48,207 | $1.85 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 756 | 1,369 | $58.0 m |
| Lamar County | 734 | 1,397 | $33.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 507 | 921 | $28.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 339 | 590 | $14.4 m |
| Jones County | 167 | 307 | $6.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 109 | 198 | $6.7 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 97 | 184 | $4.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Forrest County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Forrest County
What the Forrest County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$4.84 bn
- County GDP, 2023$4.68 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.6 percent
- GDP change over five years29.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among Mississippi counties8th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents728th
- GDP per resident$61,855
Output grew 3.6 percent in the latest year and 29.9 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Forrest County
Who employs people in Forrest County
- Covered employment, annual average39,390
- Establishments reporting1,988
- Average annual pay$51,547
- Average weekly wage$991
- Sector 62, employment5,444
- Sector 62, average annual pay$71,880
- Sector 72, employment4,319
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,085
- Sector 44-45, employment4,020
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$37,612
- Sector 31-33, employment3,610
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$57,688
- Sector 56, employment2,005
- Sector 23, employment1,324
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 5,444 | 246 | $71,880 |
| Sector 72 | 4,319 | 227 | $20,085 |
| Sector 44-45 | 4,020 | 333 | $37,612 |
| Sector 31-33 | 3,610 | 60 | $57,688 |
| Sector 56 | 2,005 | 94 | $31,870 |
| Sector 23 | 1,324 | 126 | $63,831 |
| Sector 42 | 1,284 | 91 | $60,706 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,147 | 72 | $50,722 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 5,444 jobs, 13.8 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Forrest County
What businesses operate in Forrest County
- Establishments, all industries1,741
- Employment at those establishments32,739
- Annual payroll$1.70 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.2
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Forrest County
What is being built in Forrest County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202485
- Declared construction value permitted$18.0 m
- Single family units authorised85
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$212,107
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.8
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Forrest County
How much SBA lending happens in Forrest County
- 7(a) approvals recorded70
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$22.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$326,259
- Median 7(a) approval$170,900
- 10th percentile approval$17,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,035,000
- Largest single approval$1,892,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)654
- Jobs per approval9.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active23
- Distinct industries receiving approvals47
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms10
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter52
- Franchise loans7
- Franchise share of approvals10.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGeneral Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload (7)
- Most active lenderPeoples Bank (11)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.8 m
- Average 504 approval$1,406,500
- Median 504 approval$1,938,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval51.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved36.6
- Most active CDCThree Rivers Local Development Company, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals97.2 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$25.7 m
The average approval of $326,259 sits well above the median of $170,900, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 14.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Forrest County
Do SBA loans in Forrest County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded21
- Paid in full19
- Charged off2
- Charge off rate on resolved loans9.5 percent
- Status: Paid in full19
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure40
- Status: Cancelled9
Of the 21 loans that have reached a final outcome, 9.5 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Forrest County
Which parts of Forrest County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- HATTIESBURG, approvals45
- PETAL, approvals22
- BROOKLYN, approvals2
- Brandon, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| HATTIESBURG | 45 | $14,601,900 |
| PETAL | 22 | $6,438,200 |
| BROOKLYN | 2 | $1,783,000 |
| Brandon | 1 | $15,000 |
HATTIESBURG accounts for 45 approvals against 22 in PETAL. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Forrest County
How big is Forrest County
- Land area466 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Mississippi counties56th of 82
- Width, east to west18.6 mi
- Height, north to south36.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land168
- Establishments per square mile3.74
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Forrest County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Forrest County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population78,272
- Households30,127
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$53,640
- Median age32.0
Common questions
Forrest County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Forrest County, Mississippi?
78,272, in 30,127 households, ranking 8th of 82 Mississippi counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Forrest County growing?
The population has grown 0.33 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 991 births against 881 deaths, with net migration of -106. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Forrest County?
$53,640. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $168,000, which is 3.1 times income, and median gross rent is $972 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Forrest County?
1,741 establishments, employing 32,739 people with an annual payroll of $1.70 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Forrest County?
Average annual pay is $51,547, or $991 a week, across 39,390 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Forrest County?
70 7(a) approvals totalling $22.8 m since FY2020, across 23 lenders, with a median approval of $170,900, plus 2 504 approvals worth $2.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Forrest County get paid back?
Of the 21 loans that have reached a final outcome, 19 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge off rate of 9.5 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Forrest County?
85 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $18.0 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Forrest County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Forrest County come from?
The largest single origin is Forrest County Non-migrants, with 23,573 households. Arriving households report an average income of $52,462 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Forrest County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Forrest County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.