CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

39.06° N · 104.68° W · GEOID 0806970

Black Forest

El Paso County, Colorado · part of the Colorado Springs, CO metro

Limited data core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_gross_rent

ColoradoBlack Forest, COBlack ForestBlack Forest

The short answer

Black Forest is home to 15,738 people. Median household income is $145,460 a year and median rent is $1,696 a month, 14.0% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $856,200, about 5.9x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,696
24% above the median place
Median household income
$145,460
81% above the median place
Median home value
$856,200
168% above the median place
Unemployment
4.8%
2% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Black Forest

  • Between the 2019 and 2022 surveys, household income rose 4% a year while rent rose -9.5%, so pay gained on rent more than in 99% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 111 Colorado places.
  • 96% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 98% of places its size.
  • The median resident is 48.4 years old, older than in 93% of places its size. It is the 3rd-highest of 111 Colorado places.
  • The median home is valued at $856,200, more than in 94% of places its size.
  • 29% of workers mostly work from home, more than in 93% of places its size.

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 94 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

01

Moving to Black Forest

El Paso County gains about 0.6 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in51,130
Moved out50,722
Net+408

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Colorado, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within ColoradoOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$66K
Leavers$66K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of El Paso County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
7.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.5% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into El Paso County report $66,000 a year in income on average; those leaving, $65,900.
Income you would need
$67,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,696 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,885 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $856,200.
Getting to work
30 minutes each way on average; 28.6% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Eagle, ID matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
7.0%
21% above the median place
Moved from another state1
2.5%
26% above the median place
Income of households moving out7
$65,897
6% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureBlack ForestAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year17.0%21% above
Moved from another state12.5%26% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure0.6above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$65,9907% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$65,8976% below
02

What it costs to live here

Homeownership is 95.8%, 44% above the median place.

Black Forest14.0%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$67,840
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
14.0%
31% below the median place
Home price to income
5.9x
55% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
14%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$127,800
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Black Forest, $1,696 a month, and local prices for everything else (97.5 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Black Forest, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Ashton-Sandy Spring, MD9.4% vs 14.0%n/aCompare
Lake Norman of Iredell, NC9.2% vs 14.0%n/aCompare
Green Knoll, NJ10.5% vs 14.0%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Black Forest.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Black Forest? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
95.8%
44% above the median place
Property tax rate1
0.4%
57% below the median place
Median home value1
$856,200
168% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureBlack ForestAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$1,69624% above
Rent to income114.0%31% below
Property tax rate10.4%57% below
Home price to income15.9x55% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure100.70% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,6210% above
HUD area median income4County figure$116,4008% above
Property tax paid (median)1$3,3352% above
Median home value1$856,200168% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure0.5%83% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure39.0%24% below
Homeownership195.8%44% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure54.8%8% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,88554% above
Vacant homes1County figure4.4%38% below
Median year built119961% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Works from home1
28.6%
130% above the median place
Median household income1
$145,460
81% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$67,106 +67%
Poverty rate5.0% −53%
Mean commute30 min +21%
Unemployment4.8% −2%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureBlack ForestAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$145,46081% above
Income per person1$67,10667% above
Unemployment14.8%2% below
Average annual pay6County figure$70,8977% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure5.0%35% above
Jobs6County figure307,977104% above
Poverty rate15.0%53% below
Mean commute130 min21% above
Works from home128.6%130% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

High school or higher is 98.5%, 7% above the median place.

High school or higher1
98.5%
7% above the median place
Median age1
48.4
24% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
96.5%
5% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher56.5% +76%
Household size2.9 +14%
Born abroad5.3% −41%
No health insurance6.3% −2%
All 8 people measures
MeasureBlack ForestAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population115,7382884th largest
Median age148.424% above
Bachelor's or higher156.5%76% above
High school or higher198.5%7% above
Household size12.914% above
Born abroad15.3%41% below
No health insurance16.3%2% below
Homes with broadband196.5%5% above
05

Life in Black Forest

The nearest National Park Service site is Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, about 34 miles away.

1 site is on the National Register of Historic Places, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Evans, J.G., Barn listed 2004

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents4.5 −56%
Playgrounds per 10k5.1 −46%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k6.3 −43%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails40 km 20.1×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument 34 miles
  • Sangre de Cristo Wilderness 90 miles
  • Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site 97 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars20.1 −3%
Shops26.8 −12%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.6 +12%
Doctors' offices and clinics24.5 +21%
Child care centers2.3 +0%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
34.3
11% above the median place
Public schools12
237
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students12
112,911
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureBlack ForestAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure237above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure112,911above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure16.04% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure20.13% below
Shops per 10k8County figure26.812% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure4.612% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure24.521% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.30% above
Parks per 10k94.556% below
Playgrounds per 10k95.146% below
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k96.343% below
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails940.3above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1034.311% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10150% below
National Register listings11192% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Wildfire risk is 99.3, 62% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Black Forest. Larger places are fetched first.

Wildfire risk14
99.3
62% above the median place
Annual precipitation13
16.3 in
63% below the median place
January average low13
16°F
37% below the median place
All 10 weather and risk measures
MeasureBlack ForestAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure85°F2% below
January average low13County figure16°F37% below
Average temperature13County figure48°F12% below
Annual precipitation13County figure16.3 in63% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure94.02% above
Tornado risk14County figure96.819% above
Wildfire risk14County figure99.362% above
Heat wave risk14County figure77.814% below
Median air quality index15County figure467% above
Good air days15County figure68.2%0% below
08

Black Forest in 2030: where the trends point

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median household income$145,460 (2024)$184,000$155,500 to $217,500+4.0%
Median home value$856,200 (2024)$1,245,000$904,000 to $1,715,000+6.4%

The median home would be worth 6.8 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.9 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Black Forest

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Eagle, ID$1,765$122,894Compare
Newburyport, MA$1,592$139,625Compare
Wollochet, WA$1,915$149,271Compare
Raleigh Hills, OR$1,672$120,000Compare
Raleigh Hills, ORWollochet, WANewburyport, MAEagle, IDBlack Forest, COBlack ForestEagleNewburyportWollochetRaleigh HillsBlack ForestEagleNewburyportWollochetRaleigh Hills

Common questions

Is Black Forest a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Between the 2019 and 2022 surveys, household income rose 4% a year while rent rose -9.5%, so pay gained on rent more than in 99% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 111 Colorado places. 96% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 98% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 93 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Black Forest expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 14.0% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $856,200.

What salary do you need to live in Black Forest?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $67,840 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Black Forest?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Eagle, ID, Newburyport, MA, Wollochet, WA and Raleigh Hills, OR.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Black Forest with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Black Forest itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/black-forest-colorado

Citytistics. “Black Forest, Colorado.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/black-forest-colorado/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.