River Forest, IL · Updated Oct 2026

What a River Forest home costs each year

Property tax, water, trash and energy from public rates. Look up your address to make it yours, and see how to pay less.

Suggestions as you type come from Google; the lookup uses free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.

Example · a River Forest house

$25,449a year · $2,121 a month

Starts at $227,856 of value before exemptions. Typical use.

Property tax$21,408
9.827% of $227,856, less $10,000 homeowner exemption
Electricity and gas$2,270
583 kWh a month $1,458 · 74.87 therms $811
Water and sewer$1,362
9 units (CCF) a month on Village of River Forest: water $71, sewer $42 a month
Trash$409
Base service: weekly refuse, up to two 35-gallon cans, unlimited recycling, $34 a month
Home insuranceNot included
We don't have a typical premium for this city yet. Add yours with Adjust.

A typical River Forest house costs about $25,500 a year: $21,410 property tax and charges, $1,360 water and sewer, $410 trash, $2,270 electricity and gas; home insurance is not included (no typical premium yet). Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 30, 2026. Insurance: what you enter, or a typical premium until you do. Sources are listed at the bottom.

Ways to pay less

Nothing here applies to every house automatically. These are worth checking:

Senior Exemption
The Senior Exemption reduces the Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) of a property by $8,000.
Senior Freeze exemption
Senior homeowners are eligible for this exemption if they are over 65 years of age and have a total household annual income of $65,000 or less in the 2024 calendar year.

Who serves this house

Water: Village of River Forest; Water rate per 100 cubic feet
Property tax: 9.83% of value; 2025 tax year (bills due 2026), Cook County
Garbage: Lakeshore Recycling Systems (Village of River Forest contract); Weekly refuse collection and unlimited recycling.
Electricity: ComEd; The ComEd tariff lists a municipal tax addition for River Forest.
Gas: Nicor Gas; Nicor lists a River Forest municipal charge.

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Supplier: The Village sources Lake Michigan water from the City of Chicago.

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How these numbers are made

Property tax uses the Cook County Clerk's 2025 total rate of 9.826847% for tax code 33001, which is the code shared by most River Forest parcels (codes 33011, 33012, 33014 and 33015 add a TIF with the same total). Village corporate and library rates and township corporate and general assistance rates are added together. Special service area charges apply only to some parcels and are not included.
The starting value is $752K (Assessor's 2023 reassessment median market value, single-family, River Forest Township; the next reassessment of the township is in 2026 and does not change 2025-year bills) x 10% assessment level x 3.0300 state equalizer = $227,856 of equalized assessed value.
Water is $7.92 and sewer $4.69 per 100 cubic feet (CCF) from June 1, 2026 (fee schedule in the FY 2027 budget, which the Village code also lists as effective June 1, 2026). Bills come every other month; the minimum bimonthly bill for 350 cubic feet is not added.
Refuse is the bimonthly base service charge of $68.18 (May 2026 to April 2027) halved to a monthly figure, billed on the same Village utility bill.
Electricity is ComEd's delivery charges plus the October 2026 price to compare, the River Forest municipal tax addition of 0.628 cents per kWh for the first 2,000 kWh and the state tax addition of 0.330 cents. Gas is Nicor Rate 1 plus the October 2026 supply cost with Nicor's 5.15% River Forest charge added to the monthly charge and per-therm part. Monthly riders that change are not included.
Not included: homeowners insurance (no official premium survey for River Forest found), the $45 water account deposit, and special service areas.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How River Forest compares

A typical River Forest house against the 132 Illinois cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.

Per year	River Forest	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	9.83%	8.23%	higher than 103 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover
Water	$855	$872	lower than 68 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$507	$535	lower than 64 of the other 123 Illinois cities we cover
Trash	$409	$283	higher than 125 of the other 127 Illinois cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$2,270	$2,163	higher than 99 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover
Total	$25,449	$11,701	higher than 129 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover

Cities bill differently (some put trash on the tax bill, some cover more services), so a higher number isn't necessarily worse. The property tax rate is compared instead of dollars because house values differ.

Questions to ask your candidates

Each one starts from a number above. Any candidate can answer them.

1. Property tax rate

The fact: River Forest's property tax rate is 9.83%, higher than 103 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover. The rate adds up every agency on the bill, not only the city.

Ask: "Property tax in River Forest is 9.83%, higher than 103 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover. What should that money pay for first, and would you change anything about how it is set?"

2. Trash

The fact: Trash pickup here costs about $409 a year for the standard cart, higher than 125 of the other 127 Illinois cities we cover. Where trash is billed through the tax bill or a separate hauler, it is not counted here.

Ask: "Trash pickup here costs about $409 a year for the standard cart, higher than 125 of the other 127 Illinois cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything about the service or the price?"

3. Electricity and gas

The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $2,270 a year, higher than 99 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover. Rates are set mostly by the utility and the state.

Ask: "Electricity and gas here cost about $2,270 a year for a typical house, higher than 99 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover. Which parts of that can the city influence, and what would you do about them?"

Common questions about River Forest house costs

What is the property tax rate in River Forest?

About 9.83% of the value before exemptions a year (2025 tax year (bills due 2026), Cook County), plus flat charges on the same bill.

How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in River Forest?

About $48,152 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowner exemption.

How much is the water bill in River Forest?

About $113 a month for water and sewer at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on Village of River Forest.

How much does trash pickup cost in River Forest?

$34 to $51 a month, depending on the trash cart size (Base service: weekly refuse, up to two 35-gallon cans, unlimited recycling, Special service: weekly unlimited refuse).

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in River Forest?

Yes. Senior Exemption: The Senior Exemption reduces the Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) of a property by $8,000.

How much does a house in River Forest cost to run each year?

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