Photo: Teemu08 · CC BY-SA 3.0Lake Forest spent more per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar cities
Lake Forest’s city government spent $50.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $2,627 per resident. Water and other utilities ($4.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Lake Forest is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,627 per resident in 2022: more than 98% of them
Lake Forest’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,627 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 97 Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,094, and the middle half spent $794–$1,484. Lake Forest spent more than 98% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Lake Forest itself left out).
About $2,627 per resident a year, or $7.20 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Lake Forest reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 328 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Typical bills top $10,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Lake Forest’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Lake Forest’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lake Forest →
Who’s in charge in Lake Forest
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Lake Forest’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityoflakeforest.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 55 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (19,379).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Lake Forest Community High School District 115
Lake Forest’s high school district, shared with Shields Township, Lake Bluff, North Chicago, West Deerfield Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $43,306 per pupil, $26,226 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Illinois districts overall: 52% local, 38% state, 10% federal.
Lake Forest School District 67 · $31,053 per pupil
Rondout School District 72 · $49,557 per pupil
Libertyville Community High School District 128 · $33,792 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Lake Forest’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lake Forest alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lake County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat58.6%184,642 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican38.2%120,402 votesOthers: 3.2% (10,104 votes).
Most votes in Lake County: Kamala D Harris
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Lake Forest lies in Lake County. Every 2024 race in Lake County is on the county’s page.
Lake County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Lake Forest.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityoflakeforest.com ↗
- 2Illinois HouseState representatives
- 3Illinois SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Illinois
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Lake Forest compares with the towns next door
Lake Forest spent $2,627 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $36 to $4,595. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Shields Township | $36 | $10,000+ |
| Moraine Township | $50 | $10,000+ |
| Highland Park | $1,831 | $10,000+ |
| Bannockburn | $2,200 | $10,000+ |
| Mettawa | $4,595 | $10,000+ |
| Lake Bluff | estimate | $10,000+ |
| Highwood | estimate | $9,161 |
| Lincolnshire | estimate | $10,000+ |
| Lake Forest | $2,627 | $10,000+ |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Lake Forest’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Lake Forest’s government
How much does Lake Forest spend per resident?
About $2,627 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,627 was more than 98% of 97 Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Lake Forest’s government?
See cityoflakeforest.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lake Forest yet.
How did Lake Forest vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lake Forest alone. Lake County, where 100% of Lake Forest lies, voted Harris 58.6%, Trump 38.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Lake Forest?
352 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.3M (about $27.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Lake Forest in the state legislature?
State Senate District 29 (Julie Morrison) and State House District 58 (Bob Morgan). The House district also covers 19 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Lake Forest’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →