Joshua P. Young House · Photo: Burnhamandroot · Public domainHow is Blue Island run?
Blue Island’s city government spent $22.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $980 per resident. Water and other utilities ($4.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Blue Island is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Community High School District 218
Blue Island’s high school district, shared with Alsip, Calumet Park, Merrionette Park, Robbins, Crestwood and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $25,321 per pupil, $13,874 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.
Cook County School District 130 · $22,624 per pupil
Posen-Robbins Elementary School District 143-5 · $24,959 per pupil
Calumet Public School District 132 · $18,349 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $980 per resident a year, or $2.68 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$980 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Blue Island’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($980 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 $1,105, and the middle half spent $794–$1,485. Blue Island spent less than 59% 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; Blue Island itself left out).
No trend yet
Blue Island reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,550 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 Blue Island’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 Blue Island’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Blue Island →
Who’s in charge in Blue Island
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Blue Island’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on blueisland.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 207 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 (22,616).
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.
Blue Island’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Blue Island 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 Blue Island 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 Blue Island.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: blueisland.org ↗
- 2Illinois HouseBlue Island is split between 2 districts
- 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 Blue Island compares with the towns next door
Blue Island spent $980 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $56 to $3,168. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Calumet Township | $56 | $4,447 |
| Chicago | $3,168 | $4,943 |
| Calumet Park | estimate | $4,246 |
| Alsip | estimate | $5,257 |
| Riverdale | estimate | $3,843 |
| Robbins | estimate | $2,723 |
| Dixmoor | estimate | $2,948 |
| Posen | estimate | $3,253 |
| Blue Island | $980 | $4,550 |
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 Blue Island’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Blue Island’s government
How much does Blue Island spend per resident?
About $980 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 $980 was less than 59% of 97 Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Blue Island?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,550 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 blueisland.org.
Who runs Blue Island’s government?
See blueisland.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Blue Island yet.
How did Blue Island vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Blue Island alone. Cook County, where 100% of Blue Island lies, voted Harris 68.9%, Trump 27.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Blue Island?
109 full-time and 43 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $683,851 (about $8.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Blue Island in the state legislature?
Blue Island is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Illinois Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 14 (Emil Jones). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Blue Island’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 →