Photo: Cosmo1976 · Public domainCary spent less per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities
Cary’s village government spent $9.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $543 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Cary is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$543 per resident in 2022: less than 90% of them
Cary’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($543 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 $796–$1,485. Cary spent less than 90% 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; Cary itself left out).
About $543 per resident a year, or $1.49 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 53%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Cary reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 70 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $8,089 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.61% 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 Cary’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 Cary’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cary →
Who’s in charge in Cary
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Cary’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on caryillinois.com ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 246 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 (17,929).
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.
Community High School District 155
Cary’s high school district, shared with Algonquin Township, Crystal Lake, Cuba Township, Dorr Township, Fox River Grove and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $25,105 per pupil, $15,574 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.
Cary Community Consolidated School District 26 · $16,761 per pupil
Community Unit School District 300 · $18,172 per pupil
Crystal Lake Community Consolidated School District 47 · $17,506 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Cary’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Cary alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are McHenry County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican51.3%83,933 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.1%75,370 votesOthers: 2.7% (4,363 votes).
Most votes in McHenry County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Cary lies in McHenry County. Every 2024 race in McHenry County is on the county’s page.
McHenry 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 Cary.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: caryillinois.com ↗
- 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 Cary compares with the towns next door
Cary spent $543 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $627 to $1,273. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Lake in the Hills | $627 | $7,430 |
| Fox River Grove | $731 | $7,991 |
| Algonquin | $847 | $8,025 |
| Trout Valley | $1,161 | $10,000+ |
| Crystal Lake | $1,273 | $7,720 |
| Cary | $543 | $8,089 |
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 Cary’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Cary’s government
How much does Cary spend per resident?
About $543 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 $543 was less than 90% of 97 Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Cary?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $8,089 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.61% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see caryillinois.com.
Who runs Cary’s government?
See caryillinois.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cary yet.
How did Cary vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Cary alone. McHenry County, where 100% of Cary lies, voted Trump 51.3%, Harris 46.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Cary?
73 full-time and 38 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $656,897 (about $7.9M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Cary in the state legislature?
State Senate District 32 (Craig Wilcox) and State House District 63 (Steve Reick). The House district also covers 21 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cary’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 →