Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Forrest, Illinois
A $104,000 home here costs
$1,195per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $535. The real number is $660 higher every month — 124% 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.
Forrest against Livingston County and Illinois
| Measure | Forrest | Livingston County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $104,000 | $131,500 |
| Median property tax | $3,008 | $2,867 |
| Effective tax rate | 2.892% | 2.180% |
| Median gross rent | $663 | $855 |
| Population | 1,008 | 35,659 |
The weather behind that power bill
Forrest sits in Livingston County, which averages a high of 84.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 17.2°F in its coldest, with 36.95" of precipitation a year and 33% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,052 cooling and 5,840 heating degree days, which is what sets the $214 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Livingston County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Livingston County
Full Livingston County cost breakdown · Every county in Illinois
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Forrest?
A $104,000 home in Forrest, Illinois costs approximately $1,195 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $535 principal and interest, $251 property tax, $41 homeowners insurance, $282 utilities and $87 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Forrest?
Forrest has an effective property tax rate of 2.892%, based on a median home value of $104,000 and median real estate taxes of $3,008. That is higher than the Livingston County average of 2.180%.
What is the average home price in Forrest?
The median owner-occupied home value in Forrest, Illinois is $104,000, against $131,500 across Livingston County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Forrest?
Median gross rent in Forrest is $663 a month, against $1,195 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 Forrest — 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.