Forest Lake Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 95% of similar towns
Forest Lake Township’s town government spent $1.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,370 per resident.
What stands out about how Forest Lake Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,370 per resident in 2022: more than 95% of them
Forest Lake Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,370 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 839 Pennsylvania towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $393, and the middle half spent $286–$579. Forest Lake Township spent more than 95% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($6,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Pennsylvania towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Forest Lake Township itself left out).
About $1,370 per resident a year, or $3.75 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 82%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Forest Lake Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,143 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.93% of the home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Forest Lake Township’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 Forest Lake Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Forest Lake Township →
Who’s in charge in Forest Lake Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 551 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 (1,101).
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.
Montrose Area School District
Forest Lake Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Apolacon Township, Bridgewater Township, Choconut Township, Franklin Township, Friendsville and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $22,152 per pupil, $13,078 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.
Pennsylvania districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Forest Lake Township’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Forest Lake Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Susquehanna County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican71.9%16,114 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat27.2%6,093 votesOthers: 0.9% (197 votes).
Most votes in Susquehanna County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Forest Lake Township lies in Susquehanna County. Every 2024 race in Susquehanna County is on the county’s page.
Susquehanna 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 Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Pennsylvania HouseState representatives
- 3Pennsylvania SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Pennsylvania
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Forest Lake Township compares with the towns next door
Forest Lake Township spent $1,370 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $284 to $1,868. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Friendsville | $284 | $2,521 |
| Bridgewater Township | $558 | $2,764 |
| Silver Lake Township | $769 | $3,044 |
| Rush Township | $1,109 | $2,603 |
| Middletown Township | $1,811 | $2,357 |
| Choconut Township | $1,868 | $2,382 |
| Forest Lake Township | $1,370 | $2,143 |
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 Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Forest Lake Township’s government
How much does Forest Lake Township spend per resident?
About $1,370 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 $1,370 was more than 95% of 839 Pennsylvania towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Forest Lake Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,143 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.93% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Forest Lake Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Forest Lake Township yet.
How did Forest Lake Township vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Forest Lake Township alone. Susquehanna County, where 100% of Forest Lake Township lies, voted Trump 71.9%, Harris 27.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Forest Lake Township?
2 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $21,060 (about $252,720 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Forest Lake Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 20 (Lisa Baker) and State House District 111 (Jonathan Fritz). The House district also covers 57 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Forest Lake Township’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 →