Photo: JoeyBLS · Public domainLake Station spent less per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities
Lake Station’s city government spent $7.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $662 per resident. Water and other utilities ($4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Lake Station is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$662 per resident in 2022: less than 94% of them
Lake Station’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($662 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 35 Indiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,182, and the middle half spent $997–$1,616. Lake Station spent less than 94% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.1 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 →
Indiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Lake Station itself left out).
About $662 per resident a year, or $1.81 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 39%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Lake Station reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,399 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.02% of the home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Lake Station’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 Station’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lake Station →
Who’s in charge in Lake Station
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Lake Station’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on lakestation.in.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 167 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 (11,850).
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.
Lake Station Community Schools
Lake Station’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,600 per pupil, $6,380 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.
Indiana districts overall: 33% local, 56% state, 11% federal.
River Forest Community School Corporation · $11,634 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Lake Station.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: lakestation.in.gov ↗
- 2Indiana HouseState representatives
- 3Indiana SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Indiana
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Lake Station compares with the towns next door
Lake Station spent $662 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $9 to $1,154. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Hobart Township | $9 | $1,922 |
| Calumet Township | $53 | $1,096 |
| Hobart | $1,154 | $2,279 |
| Gary | estimate | $915 |
| New Chicago | estimate | $1,722 |
| Lake Station | $662 | $1,399 |
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 Station’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Lake Station’s government
How much does Lake Station spend per resident?
About $662 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $662 was less than 94% of 35 Indiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lake Station?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,399 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.02% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see lakestation.in.gov.
Who runs Lake Station’s government?
See lakestation.in.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lake Station yet.
How many people work for Lake Station?
71 full-time and 18 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $237,942 (about $2.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Lake Station in the state legislature?
State Senate District 3 (Mark Spencer) and State House District 3 (Ragen Hatcher). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Lake Station’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 →