Photo: Lectrician2 · CC BY-SA 4.0Forest Lake spent less per resident in 2022 than 76% of similar cities
Forest Lake’s city government spent $16.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $776 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Forest Lake is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$696 per resident in 2022: less than 76% of them
Forest Lake’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($696 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 51 Minnesota cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $995, and the middle half spent $708–$1,242. Forest Lake spent less than 76% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($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 →
Minnesota cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Forest Lake itself left out).
About $776 per resident a year, or $2.13 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 34%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 9% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Forest Lake reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $696 · 2023: $763 · 2024: $776.
full-time in March 2025, up from 61 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,751 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.95% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Forest Lake’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 Forest Lake’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Forest Lake →
Who’s in charge in Forest Lake
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Forest Lake’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.forest-lake.mn.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 336 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 2024 finance file (20,857).
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.
Forest Lake Public School District
Forest Lake’s K–12 school district, shared with Columbus, Linwood Township, Scandia, Wyoming, Hugo and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,260 per pupil, $8,462 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.
Minnesota districts overall: 30% local, 62% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Forest Lake’s votes are counted by county
Minnesota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Forest Lake alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Washington County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat53.3%90,324 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican44.4%75,271 votesOthers: 2.3% (3,941 votes).
Most votes in Washington County: Kamala D Harris
Minnesota: Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.7%
100% of Forest Lake lies in Washington County. Every 2024 race in Washington County is on the county’s page.
Washington 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 Forest Lake.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.forest-lake.mn.us ↗
- 2Minnesota HouseForest Lake is split between 2 districts
- 3Minnesota SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Minnesota
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Forest Lake compares with the towns next door
Forest Lake spent $696 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $143 to $1,005. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Chisago Lake Township | $143 | $4,196 |
| Hugo | $374 | $4,079 |
| Scandia | $442 | $4,352 |
| Columbus | $702 | $4,843 |
| Wyoming | $827 | $4,277 |
| Chisago City | $1,005 | $4,176 |
| Forest Lake | $696 | $3,751 |
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 Forest Lake’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Forest Lake’s government
How much does Forest Lake spend per resident?
About $776 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $696 was less than 76% of 51 Minnesota cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Forest Lake?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,751 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.95% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Minnesota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.forest-lake.mn.us.
Who runs Forest Lake’s government?
See ci.forest-lake.mn.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Forest Lake yet.
How did Forest Lake vote in 2024?
Minnesota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Forest Lake alone. Washington County, where 100% of Forest Lake lies, voted Harris 53.3%, Trump 44.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Forest Lake?
62 full-time and 62 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $633,995 (about $7.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Forest Lake in the state legislature?
Forest Lake is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Minnesota Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 33 (Karin Housley). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Forest Lake’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 →