Photo: ONUnicorn · CC BY-SA 4.0River Forest spent less per resident in 2022 than 66% of similar cities
River Forest’s town government spent $9,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $409 per resident.
What stands out about how River Forest is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$409 per resident in 2022: less than 66% of them
River Forest’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($409 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 363 Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $586, and the middle half spent $292–$967. River Forest spent less than 66% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; River Forest itself left out).
About $409 per resident a year, or $1.12 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
River Forest reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,357 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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
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.
Anderson Community School Corporation
River Forest’s K–12 school district, shared with Country Club Heights, Edgewood, Richland Township, Union Township, Woodlawn Heights and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,808 per pupil, $9,645 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for River Forest.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 River Forest compares with the towns next door
River Forest spent $409 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,433. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Anderson | $1,433 | $996 |
| River Forest | $409 | $3,357 |
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 $409 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 $409 was less than 66% of 363 Indiana cities of under 2,500 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 many people work for River Forest?
0 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $89 (about $1,068 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents River Forest in the state legislature?
State Senate District 25 (Mike Gaskill) and State House District 36 (Kyle Pierce). The House district also covers nine other towns. 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 →