24551 ZIP Code — Forest, VA

Bedford County, Virginia

ZIP code 24551 is located in Forest, Virginia, within Bedford County. It covers approximately 74.18 square miles and serves a population of 26,873 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 434.

About ZIP code 24551

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $331,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 81%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $88,251. The poverty rate of 5% is below the national average. 31% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 23 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 47% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 24551 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

26,873

population

74.18

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

24551 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 24551

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 24551. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Forest	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

24556 Goode (4.7 mi) 24502 Lynchburg (5.6 mi) 24570 Lowry (6.8 mi) 24503 Lynchburg (7.2 mi) 24536 Coleman Falls (8.5 mi) 24501 Lynchburg (8.7 mi) 24550 Evington (9.4 mi) 24514 Lynchburg (10 mi) 24515 Lynchburg (10 mi) 24513 Lynchburg (10.2 mi) 24523 Bedford (11.8 mi) 24526 Big Island (12.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	26,873
Population density	362 / sq mi
State FIPS	51
County FIPS	019

Geography
Land area	74.18 sq mi
Water area	0.34 sq mi
Latitude	37.3649
Longitude	-79.3146
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	434

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	25.8%	35.0%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	34.0%	35.9%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	29.6%	23.0%	26.3%
Over $200k	10.7%	6.0%	11.6%

Demographics & statistics

26,873

Population

362

People per sq mi

42.1

Median age

$88,251

Median household income

$44,101

Per capita income

$331,100

Median home value

$1,059

Median monthly rent

81.4%

Home ownership

5.2%

Poverty rate

3.3%

Unemployment

8,762

Housing units

47.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

702

Under 5

732

802

5–9

836

711

10–14

741

884

15–19

921

948

20–24

988

1,412

25–34

1,470

1,567

35–44

1,632

1,721

45–54

1,793

1,034

55–59

1,077

1,042

60–64

1,085

1,390

65–74

1,448

759

75–84

790

190

85+

198

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	5,660	21.1%
18 and over	21,213	78.9%
65 and over	4,775	17.8%
Median age	42.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 79.7%

Black or African American 7.1%

Two or more races 5.6%

Hispanic or Latino 4.5%

Other race 1.8%

Asian 1.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	22,431	79.7%
Black or African American	1,989	7.1%
Two or more races	1,563	5.6%
Hispanic or Latino	1,269	4.5%
Other race	499	1.8%
Asian	364	1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	27	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	25.8%	35.0%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	34.0%	35.9%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	29.6%	23.0%	26.3%
Over $200k	10.7%	6.0%	11.6%

Under $10k 2.8%

$10k–$15k 0.8%

$15k–$25k 4.2%

$25k–$35k 4.9%

$35k–$50k 10.0%

$50k–$75k 18.7%

$75k–$100k 15.6%

$100k–$150k 19.3%

$150k–$200k 12.3%

$200k+ 11.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.8%
$10k–$15k	0.8%
$15k–$25k	4.2%
$25k–$35k	4.9%
$35k–$50k	10.0%
$50k–$75k	18.7%
$75k–$100k	15.6%
$100k–$150k	19.3%
$150k–$200k	12.3%
$200k+	11.4%
Median income	$88,251

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.4%

$50k–$100k 0.6%

$100k–$150k 2.8%

$150k–$200k 8.9%

$200k–$300k 27.0%

$300k–$500k 42.4%

$500k–$1M 15.6%

$1M+ 1.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$331,100
Median rent / month	$1,059
Owner occupied	81.4%
Renter occupied	18.6%
Vacant	2.9%
Single-family detached	73.8%
Large apartment buildings	4.8%
Mobile homes	1.6%
Median rooms	7.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.68

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	18.9%
2000–2009	19.5%
1990–1999	23.4%
1980–1989	19.6%
1970–1979	11.5%
1960–1969	3.5%
1950–1959	1.5%
1940–1949	0.1%
1939 or earlier	1.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.4%
1 bedroom	3.0%
2 bedrooms	13.3%
3 bedrooms	42.8%
4 bedrooms	31.4%
5+ bedrooms	9.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.3%
1 vehicle	20.0%
2 vehicles	42.3%
3 or more	34.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	2.9%
Electricity	93.5%
Propane / LP gas	2.0%
Fuel oil	0.6%
Wood	0.4%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	6,985	67.3%
Cohabiting couple	216	2.1%
Male householder, no spouse	1,406	13.5%
Female householder, no spouse	1,772	17.1%
Households with children under 18	3,026	29.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,079	29.7%
Average household size	2.58

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	22.4%	24.0%
Married	66.1%	62.4%
Separated	2.7%	0.8%
Widowed	1.5%	6.1%
Divorced	7.3%	6.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.2%

Some HS, no diploma 2.0%

HS graduate 19.8%

Some college, no degree 21.6%

Associate's degree 7.4%

Bachelor's degree 28.2%

Graduate / professional 18.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.8%
Bachelor's or higher	47.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	379	5.6%
Kindergarten	330	4.9%
Elementary school	2,178	32.1%
High school	1,460	21.5%
College / grad school	2,431	35.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 29.7%

Manufacturing 11.0%

Professional & management 10.5%

Retail trade 10.2%

Finance & real estate 7.8%

Other services 7.3%

Construction 6.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.6%

Transportation & utilities 4.2%

Public administration 2.6%

Wholesale trade 2.0%

Information 1.2%

Agriculture & mining 0.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	50.0%
Service	12.4%
Sales & office	19.7%
Natural resources & construction	7.5%
Production & transportation	10.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.0%
Government	12.8%
Self-employed	4.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.5%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	82.9%
Carpool	4.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.9%
Work from home	9.9%
Other means	1.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.9

Poverty

All people 5.2%

Under 18 years 3.6%

18 and over 5.6%

Married-couple families 2.4%

Female-led households 14.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	31.2%
Retirement income	30.6%
Supplemental Security	1.2%
Cash public assistance	1.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	2.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	31.8%
High blood pressure	31.8%
High cholesterol	33.4%
Diabetes	9.2%
Heart disease	5.4%
Stroke	2.5%
Asthma	9.0%
Arthritis	25.8%
Kidney disease	2.5%
Pulmonary disease	5.6%
Cancer	6.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	14.6%
Binge drinking	16.9%
No physical activity	17.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.6%
Depression	18.9%
Fair or poor health	10.9%
Poor mental health	12.6%
Poor physical health	8.3%
No health insurance	9.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.1%
Visited dentist	74.1%
Cholesterol screening	92.7%
Teeth loss	8.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,839	8.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	8.6%
Under 18	2.5%
18–64 years	5.6%
65 and over	26.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	85.7%
Public insurance	25.0%
No insurance	3.6%
Uninsured under 19	0.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	25,439	94.7%
Spanish	273	1.1%
Other Indo-European	195	0.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	22	0.1%
Other languages	56	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	26,078	97.0%
Born in same state	25,748	95.8%
Born in different state	14,951	55.6%
Foreign born	330	1.2%
Naturalized citizen	795	3.0%
Not a US citizen	459	57.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	4,124	15.3%
Arab	3,818	14.2%
Italian	2,298	8.6%
Polish	203	0.8%
English	171	0.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	89	0.3%
German	51	0.2%
Norwegian	36	0.1%
Dutch	34	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.6%
Internet access	96.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 24551

What city is ZIP code 24551 in?

ZIP code 24551 is primarily assigned to Forest, Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 24551 in?

ZIP code 24551 falls within Bedford County, Virginia.

Is ZIP code 24551 mostly owner-occupied?

81% of occupied units in ZIP code 24551 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 24551?

47% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 24551?

The median home value in ZIP code 24551 is $331,100.

What is the population of ZIP code 24551?

ZIP code 24551 has an estimated population of 26,873 residents, with a density of 362 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 24551 in?

ZIP code 24551 observes the EST timezone.