City government · Orange County, CA

Lake Forest's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Lake Forest took in $87.1 million and spent $127 million.

Latest recorded year: ended June 30, 2024Comes fromGoes to

See every government that serves your ZIP

Where it comes from

City taxes70%Fines and other13%State tax money8.1%Fees for services (parks and recreation)6.8%Federal tax money1.2%County and local tax money1.0%

What stands out

23%

of Lake Forest's money comes from sales tax.A typical U.S. city of 50,000+ people gets 7.8%.

City taxes70%

Property tax
29%$25.5 million
Sales tax
23%$19.6 million
Other taxes
18%$15.9 million
What's in other taxesOther licenses; other selective sales taxes and 3 more
  • Other licenses$6.1 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$5.9 million
  • Public utility taxes$3.0 million
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$904 thousand
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$51 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services6.8%

Fees for services
6.8%$5.9 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges and parks and recreation
  • Other service charges$3.4 million
  • Parks and recreation$2.5 million

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money1.2%

Grants from Washington, paid for by the federal taxes residents also pay.

From the federal government
1.2%$1.0 million

State tax money8.1%

Money the state passes on, paid for by the state taxes residents also pay.

From the state
8.1%$7.0 million

County and local tax money1.0%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
1.0%$878 thousand

Fines and other13%

Interest, rents and other
12%$10.7 million
Fines
0.5%$474 thousand

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails36%Running the government and other costs24%Roads, transit and parking18%Sent to other local governments17%Parks, recreation and libraries5.2%All other spending0.5%

What stands out

17%

of Lake Forest's spending goes to local governments.Most U.S. cities of 50,000+ people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
36%$45.7 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsCourts and legal services; police and 1 more
  • Courts and legal services$21.8 million
  • Police$20.9 million
  • Inspections and regulation$2.9 million
Running the government and other costs
24%$30.0 million
What's in running the government and other costsCentral staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology); other and not broken out and 2 more
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$18.8 million
  • Other and not broken out$9.5 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$1.7 million
  • Government buildings$27 thousand
Roads, transit and parking
18%$22.4 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$22.4 million
Sent to other local governments
17%$21.3 million
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to local governments: other and not broken out and sent to the state government
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$21.3 million
  • Sent to the state government$6 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
5.2%$6.6 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$6.6 million
Health and hospitals
0.4%$507 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$507 thousand
Interest on debt
0.1%$186 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

City of Lake Forest. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2024.

What this covers. The money of City of Lake Forest itself. Other governments that serve the same area (the city, county, school district and state) are separate and not included. Borrowing, transfers between a government's own funds, and pension trust funds are not counted as revenue.