Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0Bellwood spent more per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar cities
Bellwood’s village government spent $33.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,836 per resident. Water and other utilities ($5.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bellwood is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$1,515 per resident in 2022: more than 77% of them
Bellwood’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,515 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 97 Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,094, and the middle half spent $794–$1,484. Bellwood spent more than 77% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bellwood itself left out).
About $1,836 per resident a year, or $5.03 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 19% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Bellwood reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,515 · 2024: $1,836.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $5,866 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.55% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bellwood’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Bellwood’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bellwood →
Who’s in charge in Bellwood
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bellwood’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on vil.bellwood.il.us ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 159 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (18,081).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Proviso Township High School District 209
Bellwood’s high school district, shared with Berkeley, Forest Park, Hillside, Maywood, Stone Park and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,566 per pupil, $8,681 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Illinois districts overall: 52% local, 38% state, 10% federal.
Bellwood School District 88 · $23,779 per pupil
Berkeley School District 87 · $21,366 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Bellwood’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Bellwood alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Cook County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat68.9%1,447,821 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican27.8%583,852 votesOthers: 3.3% (70,005 votes).
Most votes in Cook County: Kamala D Harris
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Bellwood lies in Cook County. Every 2024 race in Cook County is on the county’s page.
Cook County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Bellwood.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: vil.bellwood.il.us ↗
- 2Illinois HouseState representatives
- 3Illinois SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Illinois
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bellwood compares with the towns next door
Bellwood spent $1,515 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,622 to $2,701. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Berkeley | $1,622 | $6,224 |
| Melrose Park | $2,443 | $5,717 |
| Hillside | $2,701 | $6,302 |
| Maywood | estimate | $6,590 |
| Westchester | estimate | $6,279 |
| Bellwood | $1,515 | $5,866 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Bellwood’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bellwood’s government
How much does Bellwood spend per resident?
About $1,836 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,515 was more than 77% of 97 Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bellwood?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,866 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.55% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see vil.bellwood.il.us.
Who runs Bellwood’s government?
See vil.bellwood.il.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bellwood yet.
How did Bellwood vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Bellwood alone. Cook County, where 100% of Bellwood lies, voted Harris 68.9%, Trump 27.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bellwood?
114 full-time and 51 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $802,403 (about $9.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bellwood in the state legislature?
State Senate District 4 (Kimberly Lightford) and State House District 7 (Chris Welch). The House district also covers 17 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bellwood’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →