Photo: DFHoulihan · CC BY-SA 4.0River Forest spent more per resident in 2022 than 95% of similar cities
River Forest’s village government spent $22.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $2,105 per resident.
What stands out about how River Forest is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$2,105 per resident in 2022: more than 95% of them
River Forest’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,105 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. River Forest spent more than 95% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($6.3 million), as the Census Bureau counts 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; River Forest itself left out).
About $2,105 per resident a year, or $5.77 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
River Forest reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
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 River 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 River Forest’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in River Forest →
Who’s in charge in River Forest
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time village employee for every 139 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (10,694).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Oak Park and River Forest District 200
River Forest’s high school district, shared with Oak Park Township, Oak Park, River Forest Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $30,490 per pupil, $16,026 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.
River Forest School District 90 · $24,979 per pupil
Proviso Township High School District 209 · $19,566 per pupil
Maywood-Melrose Park-Broadview School District 89 · $21,824 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
River Forest’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for River Forest alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Cook County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat68.9%1,447,821 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican27.8%583,852 votesOthers: 3.3% (70,005 votes).
Most votes in Cook County: Kamala D Harris
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of River Forest lies in Cook County. Every 2024 race in Cook County is on the county’s page.
Cook 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 River Forest.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Illinois HouseRiver Forest is split between 2 districts
- 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 River Forest compares with the towns next door
River Forest spent $2,105 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $31 to $2,443. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Proviso Township | $31 | $6,477 |
| River Forest Township | $70 | $10,000+ |
| Forest Park | $1,684 | $6,481 |
| Melrose Park | $2,443 | $5,717 |
| Maywood | estimate | $6,590 |
| River Forest | $2,105 | $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 River Forest’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about River Forest’s government
How much does River Forest spend per resident?
About $2,105 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 $2,105 was more than 95% of 97 Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs River Forest’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for River Forest yet.
How did River Forest vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for River Forest alone. Cook County, where 100% of River Forest lies, voted Harris 68.9%, Trump 27.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for River Forest?
77 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $659,027 (about $7.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents River Forest in the state legislature?
River Forest is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Illinois Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about River 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 →