Lake Forest, IL town hall & government
Lake Forest spent $63.2 million in the year to April 30, 2022, about $3,263 per resident.
Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Lake Forest's government.
Who runs Lake Forest
From public records (Open States and Wikidata), which can lag behind an election. If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.
Where Lake Forest's money goes
Where the money comes from
- Property taxes 44%
- Fees & charges 15%
- From the state 12%
- Utility sales 11%
- Sales taxes 9%
- Other taxes & licenses 4%
- Interest, fines & other 4%
- From the federal government <1%
Who works for Lake Forest
Staff on the town's payroll in March 2025. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate. Lake Forest didn't report its staffing to the Census Bureau, so these are the Bureau's estimates.
Lake Forest Community High School District 115
Lake Forest's high school district, shared with Shields, Lake Bluff, North Chicago and West Deerfield. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.
Where the district's money comes from Illinois districts overall: 52% local, 38% state, 10% federal
- Local 79%
- State 20%
- Federal 1%
Of the $43,306 per pupil, $26,226 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.
Also serving Lake Forest: Lake Forest School District 67 ($31,053 per pupil) · Rondout School District 72 ($49,557 per pupil) · Libertyville Community High School District 128 ($33,792 per pupil).
Which schools Lake Forest kids attend, test scores and graduation rate →
What homeowners in Lake Forest pay
The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Contact Lake Forest's government
Who represents Lake Forest
Lake Forest is represented in Congress by Senators Richard J. Durbin and Tammy Duckworth and Representative Bradley Scott Schneider. J. B. Pritzker is governor.
Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.