What a Forest Lake house pays
Property tax, water, trash and energy from public rates. Look up your address to make it yours, and see how to pay less.
Sent only to free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.
Starts at $390,500 of value before exemptions. Typical use.
- Property tax$4,316
1.389% of $390,500, less $500,000 1.00% class rate on the first $500,000 and less $11,405 homestead market value exclusion
- Electricity and gas$2,250
587.82 kWh a month $1,198 · 71 therms $1,052
- Water and sewer$1,174
7,000 gallons a month on City of Forest Lake: water $52, sewer $46 a month
- Trash$326
65-gallon cart plus recycling, $27 a month
- Home insurance$1,774
Typical premium $1,774
A typical Forest Lake house pays about $9,800 a year: $4,320 property tax and charges, $1,170 water and sewer, $330 trash, $2,250 electricity and gas, $1,770 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.
Rates checked Oct 22, 2026. Insurance: what you enter, or a typical premium until you do. Sources are listed at the bottom.
Ways to pay less
One change saves this house about $39 a year:
Bring water use down to 7 units
$39 a yearAbove 7 units a month, City of Forest Lake charges $10.59 a unit instead of $8.96.
How: Most of the top tier is outdoor watering: fix leaks and water less often in summer.
Worth checking
Switch to the 35-gallon cart plus recycling cartUp to $24 a year
Your cart costs $27 a month; the smallest costs $25. Worth it if you rarely fill it.
How: Contact Republic Services at forestlake@republicservices.com or 320-252-9608 with your name, address and desired container size
File for homestead
Homestead is a property classification for homes occupied by the owner or a qualifying relative as their primary residence; it can make you eligible for the homestead market value exclusion and the property tax refund (relative homesteads do not qualify for the refund).
How: Apply online with Washington County by December 31 for taxes payable the following year.
Claim the Minnesota property tax refund
Homeowners with 2025 total household income under $142,490 may qualify for the homestead credit refund; a special refund applies when net property tax rises at least 12 percent and at least $100.
How: File Form M1PR with the Minnesota Department of Revenue by August 15 (you may file up to one year late).
Seniors 65+: defer part of your property tax
Property Tax Deferral for Senior Citizens limits the tax you pay to 3% of total household income; the state pays the remainder as a loan, repaid with interest when you sell or cancel.
How: You must be 65 or older (if married, the other spouse at least 62), have household income of $96,000 or less and have owned, lived in and homesteaded the home for 5 years; apply by November 1.
Veterans with a 70%+ disability rating: market value exclusion$150,000 or $300,000 off market value
Honorably discharged veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 70% or higher who own and occupy a homestead on December 31 can get a $150,000 market value exclusion; a 100% permanent and total rating qualifies for $300,000.
How: Apply with Washington County using its application for veterans with disabilities.
Pay property tax by eCheck, not card
Washington County charges a $0.75 fee to pay online by eCheck and 2.35% (minimum $1.49) by card.
How: Choose eCheck when paying online, or mail a check postmarked by the due date.
Money dates
- Nov 1in 9 daysSenior citizen property tax deferral applications due to defer the following year's taxes
- Dec 31in 69 daysHomestead applications due to Washington County for taxes payable the following year
- May 15First half of Washington County real property taxes due; monthly penalties begin if not paid by the due date
- Aug 15Minnesota property tax refund (Form M1PR) due; you may still file up to one year late
Who serves this house
- Water
- City of Forest Lake
- City of Forest Lake, 2026 rates effective January 1, 2026; meters are read quarterly
- Property tax
- 1.39% of value
- 2026 taxes payable, Washington County (Forest Lake tax area 2501: ISD 831 Forest Lake, Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District)
- Garbage
- Republic Services
- Republic Services provides the City of Forest Lake refuse and recycling services; waste is collected weekly and recycling every other week
- Sewer
- City of Forest Lake
- The 3/4 inch residential sewer charge is based on winter quarter water use
- Electricity
- Xcel Energy
- Xcel Energy lists Forest Lake as served with electricity and gas
- Gas
- Xcel Energy
- Xcel Energy lists Forest Lake in its gas service area
- Schools
- Forest Lake Area Schools (ISD 831)
- Washington County's Pay 2026 tax rates for Forest Lake list school district 831 and the Comfort Lake-Forest Lake watershed district
Your water
- Source
- Groundwater from four wells, 250 to 630 feet deep, drawing from the Mt. Simon, Quaternary Buried Artesian and Wonewoc-Mt.Simon aquifers (2024 report)
- Lead
- The 90th-percentile lead result was 1.3 ppb; the 2024 report lists 408 lead service lines and 46 galvanized lines requiring replacement
Other MN cities
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How these numbers are made
- Property tax uses Washington County's final certified Pay 2026 rates for Forest Lake tax area 2501 (ISD 831 and the Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District), the county's example combination; other Forest Lake areas differ by watershed and special-district rates. Forest Lake's other tax areas (2502, 2504) have lower total rates (96.89% and 95.31% vs 101.47%); estimated from the rate differences, not computed with the page math, they pay roughly $175 to $235 less a year on this value.
- The starting value is the county's median taxable market value for Forest Lake residential homesteads, before the homestead market value exclusion; the page figures tax capacity from it and applies the market value referenda rates to market value.
- Water and sewer are billed quarterly: the 3/4 inch fixed charge plus meter fee ($44.85 + $3.57 a quarter) is spread over 3 months and covers the first 5 units (1,000 gallons) a quarter; spring/summer and fall/winter unit prices are averaged 50/50 because the rate sheet does not say which quarters are which.
- Sewer is the $83.00 minimum quarterly bill spread over 3 months, plus $8.64 per 1,000 gallons above 5 units, capped where the quarterly bill reaches $137.01; the city bases it on winter quarter use, which this page approximates with current use.
- Garbage adds the 2026 Republic Services recycling rate of $6.03 to each trash cart total. The city's stormwater utility fee ($63.12 residential on the 2026 rate sheet) is left out of the totals because the sheet does not state its billing period; the city's flat monthly electric and gas franchise fees are not quantified in sources found. This page therefore excludes a $63.12 city stormwater charge, period unconfirmed (Utility Billing, 651-395-5830).
- Electricity and gas use Xcel Energy's averages as in the neighboring Washington County cities; insurance is the Minnesota statewide average.
- Amounts are before city electric and gas franchise fees (not quantified in sources found). Stormwater: the 2026 city rate sheet lists $63.12 residential (Effective January 1, 2026); billing period unconfirmed, so it is left out of totals.
- Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.
- Washington County 2026 final certified tax rates
- Washington County Pay 2026 tax statement medians
- Forest Lake 2026 utility rates (Exhibit C)
- Forest Lake refuse and recycling
- Forest Lake 2024 water report
- Forest Lake water department
- Forest Lake water conservation rebate
- Forest Lake council workshop, June 15, 2026
- Xcel Energy Minnesota communities served
- Xcel gas rate book, communities
- MN Revenue property classification
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How Forest Lake compares
A typical Forest Lake house against the 35 Minnesota cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.
| Per year | Forest Lake | Median | Where it falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property tax rate | 1.39% | 1.49% | lower than 22 of the other 33 Minnesota cities we cover |
| Water | $626 | $339 | higher than 28 of the other 34 Minnesota cities we cover |
| Sewer and utility-bill fees | $548 | $621 | lower than 25 of the other 34 Minnesota cities we cover |
| Trash | $326 | $326 | in the middle of 8 other Minnesota cities we cover |
| Electricity and gas | $2,250 | $2,150 | higher than 22 of the other 34 Minnesota cities we cover |
| Home insurance | $1,774 | $1,774 | in the middle of 34 other Minnesota cities we cover |
| Total | $9,841 | $9,536 | higher than 20 of the other 34 Minnesota 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. Water
The fact: Water here costs about $626 a year at typical use, higher than 28 of the other 34 Minnesota cities we cover.
Ask: "Water here costs about $626 a year at typical use, higher than 28 of the other 34 Minnesota cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"
Common questions about Forest Lake house costs
What is the property tax rate in Forest Lake?
About 1.39% of the value before exemptions a year (2026 taxes payable, Washington County (Forest Lake tax area 2501: ISD 831 Forest Lake, Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District)), plus flat charges on the same bill.
How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in Forest Lake?
About $5,659 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the 1.00% class rate on the first $500,000.
How much is the water bill in Forest Lake?
About $98 a month for water and sewer at typical use (7,000 gallons a month) on City of Forest Lake.
How much does trash pickup cost in Forest Lake?
$25 to $29 a month, depending on the trash cart size (35-gallon cart plus recycling, 65-gallon cart plus recycling, 95-gallon cart plus recycling).
When is property tax due in Forest Lake?
Nov 1: Senior citizen property tax deferral applications due to defer the following year's taxes May 15: First half of Washington County real property taxes due; monthly penalties begin if not paid by the due date Aug 15: Minnesota property tax refund (Form M1PR) due; you may still file up to one year late
Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Forest Lake?
Yes. Seniors 65+: defer part of your property tax: Property Tax Deferral for Senior Citizens limits the tax you pay to 3% of total household income; the state pays the remainder as a loan, repaid with interest when you sell or cancel.
How much does a house in Forest Lake cost to run each year?
A typical Forest Lake house pays about $9,800 a year: $4,320 property tax and charges, $1,170 water and sewer, $330 trash, $2,250 electricity and gas, $1,770 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.