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New Report Fall 2026 Housing Affordability Report: every state is less affordable than in late August as average 30-year mortgage rates passed 7%. Read the report

Forest, MS Housing Affordability Index

Forest, Mississippi has an MBR Housing Affordability Index score of 142.5 (Highly Affordable) as of October 30, 2026, ranking 144th most affordable of 285 scored Mississippi cities, compared with 131.1 statewide and 97.4 nationally. On a median-priced $141,100 home with 20% down, the Mississippi average 30-year fixed rate of 7.20% means a monthly principal and interest payment of about $766, or 18% of the city’s $49,724 median household income.

The MBR Housing Affordability Index (MBR-HAI) for Forest is updated every night from live Mississippi mortgage rates and U.S. Census Bureau income, home value and housing cost data for the city. A score of 100 equals the national average; higher scores mean homeownership is more affordable.

Forest MBR-HAI 142.5 Highly Affordable
Rank in Mississippi 144 of 285 1 = most affordable
Mississippi 131.1 Statewide score
National 97.4 100 = baseline
Avg 30-yr rate 7.20% Mississippi lenders
Median home value $141,100 U.S. Census Bureau

Forest is 11.3 points above the Mississippi score. Scores as of October 30, 2026. See the Mississippi index

View Forest Mortgage Rates

What It Takes to Buy in Forest

$766/mo
Principal & Interest
Median home, 20% down, 7.20%
$32,800
Income Needed
To keep the payment at 28% of income
$49,724
Median Household Income
Mississippi: $56,447
2.8x
Price-to-Income Ratio
Mississippi: 3.0x
$568/mo
Median Owner Costs
Mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities
$1,309/yr
Median Property Tax
0.93% of median value
12.9%
Owner Cost Burden
Owners spending 30%+ of income on housing
37.6%
Renter Cost Burden
Renters spending 30%+ of income on rent

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024) for Forest, Mississippi. The rate is the Mississippi average 30-year fixed rate from MonitorBankRates, since lenders publish rates by state.

Cite the Forest Score

“MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index, MonitorBankRates.com, October 30, 2026. Forest, Mississippi score: 142.5 (Highly Affordable), ranked 144 of 285 Mississippi cities. monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index/mississippi/forest”