Editing Forest, Louisiana

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                 = Village of Forest
| settlement_type      = Village
| image_skyline        = Forest City Hall, Forest, LA IMG_7354.JPG
| imagesize            = 250px
| image_caption        = Forest City Hall and Community Center
| image_map            = File:West Carroll Parish Louisiana Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Forest Highlighted.svg
| mapsize              = 
| map_caption          = Location of Forest in West Carroll Parish, Louisiana.
| image_map1           = Louisiana in United States (US48).svg
| mapsize1             = 
| map_caption1         = Location of Louisiana in the United States
<!-- Location ------>
| subdivision_type     = Country
| subdivision_name     = United States
| subdivision_type1    = State
| subdivision_name1    = Louisiana
| subdivision_type2    = Parish
| subdivision_name2    = [[West Carroll Parish, Louisiana|West Carroll]]
<!-- Government -->
| established_title    = Founded
| established_date     = 
| founder              = 
| named_for            = 
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type      = 
| governing_body       = 
| leader_title         = Mayor
| leader_name          = 
<!-- Area ----->
| unit_pref            = Imperial
| area_footnotes       = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_22.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 20, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2       = 4.33
| area_total_sq_mi     = 1.67
| area_land_km2        = 4.33
| area_land_sq_mi      = 1.67
| area_water_km2       = 0.00
| area_water_sq_mi     = 0.00
<!-- Population ---->
| population_as_of     = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total     = 304
| population_density_km2 = 70.23
| population_density_sq_mi = 181.93
| population_demonym  = 
<!-- General information -->
| timezone1           = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset1         = -6
| timezone1_DST       = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST     = -5
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft        = 128
| coordinates         = {{coord|32|47|33|N|91|24|45|W|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
| postal_code_type    = 
| postal_code         = 
| area_code           = [[Area code 318|318]]
| blank_name          = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info          = 22-26350
| blank1_name         = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info         = 2407457<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2407457}}</ref>
| website = 
| footnotes = 
}}

[[Image:Helmer's Country Store, Forest, LA IMG 7351.JPG|thumb|Helmer's Country Store, established in an old building in Forest in 2013]]
[[Image:revised, Forest, LA Baptist Church IMG 7350 1 1.jpg|thumb|upright|Forest [[Baptist]] Church at 138 Clover Street]]

'''Forest''' is a [[village (Louisiana)|village]] in [[West Carroll Parish, Louisiana|West Carroll Parish]] in northeastern [[Louisiana]], United States. The population was 275 at the [[2000 United States Census|2000 census]].

Forest Police Chief James Robert "Bob" Smith ([[Independent (politics)|Independent]]; born June 1931),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Home/Home?uid=3969060|title=James Smith,. June 1931|publisher=[[Louisiana Secretary of State]]|access-date=February 20, 2017}}</ref> with service since 1998 is the oldest elected official in the State of Louisiana, as of 2017. After thirty years as a mechanic for the [[United States Air Force]], Smith began a civilian career with International Oil Company, based in [[Saudi Arabia]]. A [[North Carolina]] native, he retired to Forest, where his wife had formerly resided.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2017/01/13/forest-police-chief-oldest-state/96502370/|title=Forest police chief oldest in state|newspaper=The Monroe News-Star|date=January 13, 2017|author=Ashley Mott|access-date=February 17, 2017}}</ref>

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the village has a total area of {{convert|1.7|sqmi|km2}}, all land.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1970= 221
|1980= 299
|1990= 263
|2000= 275
|2010= 355
|2020= 304
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
As of the census<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 275 people, 95 households, and 83 families residing in the village. The population density was {{convert|165.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 108 housing units at an average density of {{convert|65.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the village was 95.27% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.82% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 2.91% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]]. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 4.00% of the population.

There were 95 households, out of which 38.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.8% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.6% were non-families. 10.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 30.5% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $35,000, and the median income for a family was $36,875. Males had a median income of $26,786 versus $13,750 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the village was $13,191. About 6.0% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 16.3% of those under the age of eighteen and 6.9% of those 65 or over.

==Education==
Public schools are operated by the [[West Carroll Parish School Board]]. The village of Forest is zoned to [[Forest High School (Louisiana)|Forest High School]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20110104100259/http://www.forestbulldogs.org/] (Grades PK-12), which is located off the main highway at 158 Clover Street adjacent to the Forest [[Baptist]] Church.

In May 2013, the Forest High School Bulldogs baseball team was ranked first in the state among the Class B schools.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usatodayhss.com/rankings/super-25-baseball-2013?division=CFB11204&state=LA|title=Louisiana Rankings, 2012-13 Super 25 Baseball, Class  B Schools|publisher=usatodayhss.com|access-date=May 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140629130048/http://www.usatodayhss.com/rankings/super-25-baseball-2013?division=CFB11204&state=LA|archive-date=June 29, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Vance McAllister]], who represented [[Louisiana's 5th congressional district]] in the [[United States House of Representatives]] from 2013 to 2014, graduated from Forest High School.<ref>James Ronald Skains, "Riser, McAllister placed in runoff for Congress seat", ''The Piney Woods Journal'', November 2013, pp. 1, 2, 4</ref>

{{clear left}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110208031330/http://forestprogress.com/ Forest Progress] Community Progress Site for Forest, Louisiana

{{West Carroll Parish, Louisiana}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Villages in Louisiana]]
[[Category:Villages in West Carroll Parish, Louisiana]]