45843 ZIP Code — Forest, OH

Hardin County, Ohio

ZIP code 45843 is located in Forest, Ohio, within Hardin County. It covers approximately 100.80 square miles and serves a population of 3,769 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 326/419/567/937.

About ZIP code 45843

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $145,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 77%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $66,250.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 24 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 15% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (25%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 45843 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce and high homeownership.

3,769

population

100.80

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

45843 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 45843

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 45843. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Forest	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

45836 Dunkirk (4.6 mi) 45835 Dola (6.9 mi) 45867 Mount Blanchard (8.6 mi) 43359 Wharton (9.1 mi) 45814 Arlington (9.5 mi) 43326 Kenton (9.9 mi) 45810 Ada (12.9 mi) 45812 Alger (13.6 mi) 45890 Vanlue (13.6 mi) 43351 Upper Sandusky (13.8 mi) 43340 Mount Victory (15.3 mi) 45881 Rawson (15.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,769
Population density	37 / sq mi
State FIPS	39
County FIPS	065

Geography
Land area	100.80 sq mi
Water area	0.01 sq mi
Latitude	40.7749
Longitude	-83.5693
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	326/419/567/937

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.0%	49.0%	43.3%
$50k – $100k	40.8%	31.7%	31.4%
$100k – $200k	15.0%	17.9%	20.0%
Over $200k	0.3%	1.4%	5.2%

Demographics & statistics

3,769

Population

People per sq mi

42.4

Median age

$66,250

Median household income

$28,036

Per capita income

$145,300

Median home value

$851

Median monthly rent

76.7%

Home ownership

11.5%

Poverty rate

7.2%

Unemployment

1,192

Housing units

14.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

114

5–9

116

123

10–14

125

144

15–19

146

171

20–24

173

166

25–34

168

192

35–44

194

270

45–54

274

190

55–59

192

135

60–64

137

214

65–74

216

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	850	22.6%
18 and over	2,919	77.4%
65 and over	589	15.6%
Median age	42.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 96.2%

Black or African American 2%

Two or more races 0.7%

Hispanic or Latino 0.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Other race 0.2%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	3,640	96.2%
Black or African American	75	2%
Two or more races	26	0.7%
Hispanic or Latino	15	0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	10	0.3%
Other race	9	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	6	0.2%
Asian	3	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.0%	49.0%	43.3%
$50k – $100k	40.8%	31.7%	31.4%
$100k – $200k	15.0%	17.9%	20.0%
Over $200k	0.3%	1.4%	5.2%

Under $10k 5.8%

$10k–$15k 2.8%

$15k–$25k 2.6%

$25k–$35k 13.0%

$35k–$50k 12.0%

$50k–$75k 19.9%

$75k–$100k 20.6%

$100k–$150k 16.4%

$150k–$200k 6.0%

$200k+ 1.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.8%
$10k–$15k	2.8%
$15k–$25k	2.6%
$25k–$35k	13.0%
$35k–$50k	12.0%
$50k–$75k	19.9%
$75k–$100k	20.6%
$100k–$150k	16.4%
$150k–$200k	6.0%
$200k+	1.0%
Median income	$66,250

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.4%

$50k–$100k 25.4%

$100k–$150k 21.1%

$150k–$200k 22.4%

$200k–$300k 10.8%

$300k–$500k 10.7%

$500k–$1M 4.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$145,300
Median rent / month	$851
Owner occupied	76.7%
Renter occupied	23.3%
Vacant	5.2%
Single-family detached	89.8%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	7.1%
Median rooms	7.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.74

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	9.7%
2000–2009	6.3%
1990–1999	15.4%
1980–1989	7.6%
1970–1979	9.4%
1960–1969	8.8%
1950–1959	10.5%
1940–1949	2.0%
1939 or earlier	30.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.5%
1 bedroom	1.4%
2 bedrooms	11.5%
3 bedrooms	53.6%
4 bedrooms	30.4%
5+ bedrooms	2.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.1%
1 vehicle	22.2%
2 vehicles	34.9%
3 or more	41.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	34.9%
Electricity	16.9%
Propane / LP gas	39.8%
Fuel oil	3.8%
Wood	3.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	908	62.7%
Cohabiting couple	53	3.7%
Male householder, no spouse	212	14.6%
Female householder, no spouse	276	19.0%
Households with children under 18	451	31.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	425	29.3%
Average household size	2.60

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.5%	26.4%
Married	56.8%	57.7%
Separated	1.7%	0.7%
Widowed	3.0%	8.7%
Divorced	8.0%	6.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.8%

Some HS, no diploma 3.5%

HS graduate 52.2%

Some college, no degree 17.2%

Associate's degree 11.8%

Bachelor's degree 8.9%

Graduate / professional 5.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.7%
Bachelor's or higher	14.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	34	3.9%
Kindergarten	79	9.0%
Elementary school	350	40.0%
High school	257	29.4%
College / grad school	154	17.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 24.5%

Education & healthcare 24.4%

Transportation & utilities 11.7%

Construction 7.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.2%

Retail trade 5.7%

Public administration 4.7%

Other services 4.6%

Professional & management 3.7%

Agriculture & mining 3.6%

Finance & real estate 1.8%

Information 1.6%

Wholesale trade 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	29.5%
Service	15.7%
Sales & office	21.0%
Natural resources & construction	9.2%
Production & transportation	24.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	76.3%
Government	15.2%
Self-employed	8.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	86.1%
Carpool	6.7%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.4%
Work from home	5.3%
Other means	1.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.8

Poverty

All people 11.5%

Under 18 years 16.6%

18 and over 10.1%

Married-couple families 4.5%

Female-led households 18.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	29.1%
Retirement income	20.4%
Supplemental Security	2.1%
Cash public assistance	1.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	11.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.9%
High blood pressure	35.1%
High cholesterol	32.2%
Diabetes	11.0%
Heart disease	7.1%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	10.2%
Arthritis	28.0%
Kidney disease	2.9%
Pulmonary disease	9.1%
Cancer	6.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.5%
Binge drinking	17.8%
No physical activity	27.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.4%
Depression	24.3%
Fair or poor health	15.7%
Poor mental health	16.8%
Poor physical health	11.1%
No health insurance	12.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.6%
Visited dentist	60.1%
Cholesterol screening	87.9%
Teeth loss	16.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	214	7.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.9%
Under 18	9.2%
18–64 years	9.9%
65 and over	17.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	69.8%
Public insurance	36.3%
No insurance	5.7%
Uninsured under 19	1.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,619	96.0%
Spanish	11	0.3%
Other Indo-European	7	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	4	0.1%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,758	99.7%
Born in same state	3,756	99.7%
Born in different state	3,350	88.9%
Foreign born	2	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	11	0.3%
Not a US citizen	11	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	381	10.1%
Arab	333	8.8%
Italian	302	8%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	65	1.7%
German	19	0.5%
Irish	18	0.5%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.4%
Internet access	92.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 45843

What city is ZIP code 45843 in?

ZIP code 45843 is primarily assigned to Forest, Ohio.

What county is ZIP code 45843 in?

ZIP code 45843 falls within Hardin County, Ohio.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 45843?

15% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 45843?

The median home value in ZIP code 45843 is $145,300.

What is the population of ZIP code 45843?

ZIP code 45843 has an estimated population of 3,769 residents, with a density of 37 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 45843?

The median household income in ZIP code 45843 is $66,250, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 45843 in?

ZIP code 45843 observes the EST timezone.