Magnolia Manor · Photo: MuZemike · CC BY-SA 3.0Cairo spent more per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities
Cairo’s city government spent $3.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $1,900 per resident.
What stands out about how Cairo is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,900 per resident in 2022: more than 97% of them
Cairo’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,900 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 $501, and the middle half spent $342–$713. Cairo spent more than 97% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($164,000), 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; Cairo itself left out).
About $1,900 per resident a year, or $5.21 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Cairo reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, the same as 40 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $892 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.79% 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 Cairo’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 Cairo’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cairo →
Who’s in charge in Cairo
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Cairo’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.quincy.il.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 50 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,989).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Cairo Community Unit School District 1
Cairo’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $29,585 per pupil, $13,997 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.
How Cairo voted in 2024
Official results for Cairo’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat73.4%468 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican24.3%155 votesOthers: 2.4% (15 votes).
Most votes in Cairo: Kamala D Harris
Alexander County: Trump 58.9%, Harris 39.7% · Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
of Cairo’s 1,285 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: Mike Bost
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Cairo, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cairo | 73.4% | 24.3% | 2.4% | 638 |
| Alexander County | 39.7% | 58.9% | 1.4% | 2,276 |
| Illinois | 54.4% | 43.5% | 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 Cairo.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.quincy.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.
Reach Cairo’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Cairo’s government
How much does Cairo spend per resident?
About $1,900 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 $1,900 was more than 97% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Cairo?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $892 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.79% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.quincy.il.us.
Who runs Cairo’s government?
See ci.quincy.il.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cairo yet.
How did Cairo vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 73.4%, Donald J Trump 24.3% (638 votes, official results). Alexander County: Trump 58.9%, Harris 39.7%. Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%.
How many people work for Cairo?
40 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $304,302 (about $3.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Cairo in the state legislature?
State Senate District 59 (Paul Jacobs) and State House District 118 (Scott Doody). The House district also covers 41 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cairo’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 →