Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Forest Park, Illinois
A $294,000 home here costs
$2,727per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,511. The real number is $1,216 higher every month — 80% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Forest Park against Cook County and Illinois
| Measure | Forest Park | Cook County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $293,800 | $305,200 |
| Median property tax | $6,871 | $6,053 |
| Effective tax rate | 2.339% | 1.983% |
| Median gross rent | $1,352 | $1,381 |
| Population | 14,000 | 5,185,812 |
The weather behind that power bill
Forest Park sits in Cook County, which averages a high of 84.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 16.1°F in its coldest, with 33.23" of precipitation a year and 35% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 822 cooling and 6,364 heating degree days, which is what sets the $214 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Cook County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Cook County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Forest Park?
A $294,000 home in Forest Park, Illinois costs approximately $2,727 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,511 principal and interest, $573 property tax, $115 homeowners insurance, $282 utilities and $245 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Forest Park?
Forest Park has an effective property tax rate of 2.339%, based on a median home value of $293,800 and median real estate taxes of $6,871. That is higher than the Cook County average of 1.983%.
What is the average home price in Forest Park?
The median owner-occupied home value in Forest Park, Illinois is $293,800, against $305,200 across Cook County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Forest Park?
Median gross rent in Forest Park is $1,352 a month, against $2,727 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Forest Park — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Illinois.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.