Forest County Demographics

A map of Forest County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	7,283	7,371	77.7%	80.3%
Native American/Other	1,135	1,197	12.1%	13.0%
Multiracial	698	407	7.5%	4.4%
Hispanic	206	155	2.2%	1.7%
Black	39	32	0.4%	0.3%
Asian	8	17	0.1%	0.2%

Forest County, Wisconsin has an estimated population of 9,369, a slight increase from the 9,179 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 77.7% White, 12.1% Native American/Other, 7.5% Multiracial, 2.2% Hispanic, 0.4% Black, and 0.1% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Forest County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Forest has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is about as diverse as Wisconsin overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Forest County, that probability was 33.6% in 2020 and 37.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Forest County is ranked the 68th most populous county in Wisconsin, out of 72 counties. Forest County was ranked the 68th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Forest County's White Population

7,283 residents of Forest County, or 77.7% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Forest County is comparable to the share in Wisconsin overall, where 78.6% of the population is White. Forest County ranks 63rd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 72 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Forest County's White population has declined by an estimated 1.2%. White residents' share of Forest County's population has decreased from 80.3% to 77.7%.

Forest County is more White than neighboring Menominee County (13% White). Forest County is less White than neighboring Florence County (94.9% White), Langlade County (91.5% White), Iron County (90.6% White), and Oneida County (93.4% White).

Forest County's Black Population

39 residents of Forest County, or 0.4% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Forest County is lower than in Wisconsin overall, where 5.9% of the population is Black. Forest County ranks 54th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 72 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Forest County's Black population has grown by an estimated 21.9%. Black residents' share of Forest County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.4%.

Forest County is more Black than neighboring Florence County (0.3% Black). Forest County is less Black than neighboring Iron County (0.9% Black), Menominee County (0.8% Black), and Oneida County (0.5% Black).

Forest County's Asian Population

8 residents of Forest County, or 0.1% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Forest County is slightly lower than in Wisconsin overall, where 2.9% of the population is Asian. Forest County ranks 69th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 72 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Forest County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 52.9%. Asian residents' share of Forest County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.1%.

Forest County is more Asian than neighboring Florence County (0% Asian), and Menominee County (0% Asian). Forest County is less Asian than neighboring Langlade County (0.2% Asian), Iron County (0.6% Asian), and Oneida County (0.5% Asian).

Forest County's Hispanic Population

206 residents of Forest County, or 2.2% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Forest County is lower than in Wisconsin overall, where 8% of the population is Hispanic. Forest County ranks 65th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 72 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Forest County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 32.9%. Hispanic residents' share of Forest County's population has increased from 1.7% to 2.2%.

Forest County is more Hispanic than neighboring Florence County (0.5% Hispanic), and Oneida County (1.7% Hispanic). Forest County is less Hispanic than neighboring Langlade County (2.5% Hispanic), Iron County (2.3% Hispanic), and Menominee County (5.1% Hispanic).

Forest County's Native American/Other Population

1,135 residents of Forest County, or 12.1% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Forest County is considerably higher than in Wisconsin overall, where 0.9% of the population is Native American/Other. Forest County ranks 3rd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 72 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Forest County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 5.2%. Native American/Other residents' share of Forest County's population has decreased from 13.0% to 12.1%.

Forest County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Florence County (1.6% Native American/Other), Langlade County (0.7% Native American/Other), Iron County (1.8% Native American/Other), and Oneida County (0.9% Native American/Other). Forest County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Menominee County (79% Native American/Other).

Forest County's Multiracial Population

698 residents of Forest County, or 7.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Forest County is slightly higher than in Wisconsin overall, where 3.7% of the population is Multiracial. Forest County ranks 6th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 72 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Forest County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 71.5%. Multiracial residents' share of Forest County's population has increased from 4.4% to 7.5%.

Forest County is more Multiracial than neighboring Florence County (2.8% Multiracial), Langlade County (4.7% Multiracial), Iron County (3.7% Multiracial), Menominee County (2.1% Multiracial), and Oneida County (3.1% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.