Benton Township spent less per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar towns
Benton Township’s town government spent $561,000 on day-to-day services in the year to January 31, 2022, about $30 per resident.
What stands out about how Benton Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$30 per resident in 2022: less than 93% of them
Benton Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($30 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 56 Illinois towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $62, and the middle half spent $45–$84. Benton Township spent less than 93% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Illinois towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Benton Township itself left out).
About $30 per resident a year, or $0.08 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 64%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Benton Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $6,914 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.77% 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 Benton Township’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 Benton Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Benton Township →
Who’s in charge in Benton Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 3,102 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (18,610).
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.
Zion-Benton Township High School District 126
Benton Township’s high school district, shared with Winthrop Harbor, Zion, Zion Township, Beach Park, Wadsworth and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $22,286 per pupil, $11,092 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.
Beach Park Community Consolidated School District 3 · $20,690 per pupil
Winthrop Harbor School District 1 · $18,592 per pupil
Zion Elementary School District 6 · $24,770 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Benton Township voted in 2024
Official results for Benton Township’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican49.9%3,934 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat47.8%3,766 votesOthers: 2.3% (181 votes).
Most votes in Benton Township: Donald J Trump
Lake County: Harris 58.6%, Trump 38.2% · Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
of Benton Township’s 14,572 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Illinois: 62%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in the district: Brad Schneider
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Benton Township, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Township | 49.9% | 47.8% | 2.3% | 7,881 |
| Lake County | 38.2% | 58.6% | 3.2% | 315,148 |
| Illinois | 43.5% | 54.4% | 2.2% | 5,633,310 |
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 Benton Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal 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.
How Benton Township compares with the towns next door
Benton Township spent $30 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $73 to $455. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Zion Township | $73 | $6,120 |
| Waukegan Township | $76 | $4,243 |
| Newport Township | $93 | $8,377 |
| Beach Park | $261 | $6,445 |
| Wadsworth | $455 | $9,233 |
| Zion | estimate | $6,120 |
| Winthrop Harbor | estimate | $7,419 |
| Benton Township | $30 | $6,914 |
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 Benton Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Benton Township’s government
How much does Benton Township spend per resident?
About $30 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to January 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $30 was less than 93% of 56 Illinois towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Benton Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,914 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.77% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Benton Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Benton Township yet.
How did Benton Township vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 49.9%, Kamala D Harris 47.8% (7,881 votes, official results). Lake County: Harris 58.6%, Trump 38.2%. Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%.
How many people work for Benton Township?
6 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $43,601 (about $523,212 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Benton Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 31 (Mary Edly-Allen) and State House District 61 (Joyce Mason). The House district also covers 18 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Benton Township’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 →