How is Benson run?
Benson’s village government spent $186,000 on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $464 per resident. Water and other utilities ($56,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Benson is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
About $464 per resident a year, or $1.27 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$464 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Benson’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($464 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $503, and the middle half spent $342–$713. Benson spent less than 57% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($34,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Benson itself left out).
No trend yet
Benson reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,648 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.30% 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 Benson’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Benson’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Benson →
Who’s in charge in Benson
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Roanoke-Benson Community Unit School District 60
Benson’s K–12 school district, shared with Roanoke, Roanoke Township, Greene Township, Linn Township, Clayton Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,357 per pupil, $10,638 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Benson’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Benson alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Woodford County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican69.8%14,837 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat28.0%5,958 votesOthers: 2.2% (473 votes).
Most votes in Woodford County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Benson lies in Woodford County. Every 2024 race in Woodford County is on the county’s page.
Woodford 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 Benson.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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.
Reach Benson’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Benson’s government
How much does Benson spend per resident?
About $464 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $464 was less than 57% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Benson?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,648 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.30% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.
Who runs Benson’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Benson yet.
How did Benson vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Benson alone. Woodford County, where 100% of Benson lies, voted Trump 69.8%, Harris 28.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Benson?
0 full-time and 20 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $10,077 (about $120,924 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Benson in the state legislature?
State Senate District 53 (Chris Balkema) and State House District 105 (Dennis Tipsword). The House district also covers 98 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Benson’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 →