Berkeley spent more per resident in 2022 than 92% of similar cities
Berkeley’s village government spent $9 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2023, about $1,732 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Berkeley is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$1,622 per resident in 2022: more than 92% of them
Berkeley’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,622 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 166 Illinois cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $880, and the middle half spent $696–$1,154. Berkeley spent more than 92% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($790,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Berkeley itself left out).
About $1,732 per resident a year, or $4.75 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 40%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 12% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Berkeley 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: $1,622 · 2023: $1,732.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $6,224 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.52% 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 Berkeley’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 Berkeley’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Berkeley →
Who’s in charge in Berkeley
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Berkeley’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on berkeley.il.us ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 149 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (5,214).
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
Berkeley’s high school district, shared with Bellwood, 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.
Berkeley School District 87 · $21,366 per pupil
Hillside School District 93 · $24,501 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Berkeley’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Berkeley 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 Berkeley 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 Berkeley.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: berkeley.il.us ↗
- 2Illinois HouseState representatives
- 3Illinois SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Illinois
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Berkeley compares with the towns next door
Berkeley spent $1,622 per resident in 2022; the 7 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $31 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Proviso Township | $31 | $6,477 |
| York Township | $60 | $7,724 |
| Northlake | $1,277 | $6,005 |
| Elmhurst | $1,449 | $9,466 |
| Bellwood | $1,515 | $5,866 |
| Melrose Park | $2,443 | $5,717 |
| Hillside | $2,701 | $6,302 |
| Berkeley | $1,622 | $6,224 |
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 Berkeley’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Berkeley’s government
How much does Berkeley spend per resident?
About $1,732 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,622 was more than 92% of 166 Illinois cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Berkeley?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,224 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.52% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see berkeley.il.us.
Who runs Berkeley’s government?
See berkeley.il.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Berkeley yet.
How did Berkeley vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Berkeley alone. Cook County, where 100% of Berkeley lies, voted Harris 68.9%, Trump 27.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Berkeley?
35 full-time and 62 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $370,200 (about $4.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Berkeley 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 Berkeley’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 →