Forest is a census-designated place (CDP) in Bedford County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,006 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Forest is located at 37°22′15″N 79°16′0″W / 37.37083°N 79.26667°WInvalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (37.370723, -79.266801)Template:GR.
According to the animal United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 38.1 km² (14.7 mi²). 37.8 km² (14.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.61%) is water.
Community
Forest is most recognized as a rural suburb of Lynchburg, VA containing many subdivided properties carved from and around surrounding farms and woodlands. The Ivy Hill community is the largest development and is built around the Ivy Hill Golf Course. The town has been experiencing rapid growth and development over the past 10 years, which is expected to continue into the near future. The recent construction of shopping centers such as Cavalier Corner and a large strip mall beside the Post Office evidence this recent growth. Forest is home to Jefferson Forest High School (the Cavaliers, ~1200 students), Forest Middle School (the Knights, ~900 students), Forest Elementary School, and Thomas Jefferson Elementary School.
Forest has no real town center, but the area along Rt. 221 from the Post Office to the Forest Library is generally regarded as the central part of the community; however, technically the town extends all the way along Rt. 221 from the middle school to Graves Mill Shopping Center. Surrounding communities include Goode, New London, Bedford, Timberlake, Wyndhurst, Madison Heights, Boonsboro, Rustburg, Amherst, and Big Island. Of these, Boonsboro, Forest, and New London are considered the more affluent suburbs of Lynchburg. The political attitudes of the majority of the population are strongly conservative, in part due to the large presence of conservative and fundamentalist Christian groups, notably Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg.
The most popular attraction of the town is Poplar Forest, the summer home of Thomas Jefferson, which is open to the public for visitation and is the subject of ongoing archaeological studies. Nearby attractions include Point of Honor in Lynchburg, the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, and the Peaks of Otter in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The nearest urban center is in downtown Lynchburg, approximately 10 miles northeast of town. Forest is accessed via US Rt. 221 and US Rt. 460. The nearest rail line is Amtrak's Crescent Train at the station in Lynchburg. The nearest airport is Lynchburg Regional offering commercial service through US Airways Express and The Delta Connection to Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA, respectively. Private charter flights are available through Virginia Aviation.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 8,006 people, 3,172 households, and 2,293 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 211.6/km² (547.8/mi²). There were 3,294 housing units at an average density of 87.1/km² (225.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 91.79% White, 5.65% African American, 0.10% Native American, 1.36% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.95% of the population.
There were 3,172 households out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $55,089, and the median income for a family was $67,055. Males had a median income of $46,057 versus $30,720 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $25,735. About 2.9% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.