River Forest, Indiana Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 21, River Forest's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

River Forest is a small community located in Indiana, within Madison County. The total population is 21. It ranks as the 955th most populous out of 967 Census-designated places in Indiana.

Age Demographics

The median age in River Forest is 55.4 years. This is 45% higher than the state median of 38.1 years. 38.1% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in River Forest. In a community this small the estimate rests on very few survey responses, so it should be read as an absence of measurement rather than a measured absence of poverty. The survey records no unemployed residents in River Forest, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. 100.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 42% higher than the state average of 70.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

River Forest has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 95.2% of all residents.

Education

77.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places River Forest in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 164% higher than the state rate of 29.5%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample. Notably, 38.9% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for River Forest, Indiana is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Indiana state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 967 Census-designated places in Indiana. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.