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Town Hall · Cobden

Cobden spent more per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities

Cobden’s village government spent $1 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $978 per resident. Water and other utilities ($332,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Illinois.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.0M
year to April 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$978
In 2022: $978, more than 90% of 637 similar cities
Long-term debt
$1.3M
end of FY2022, reported
Village staff, 2022
10
full-time · 5 part-time · March payroll $39,605
Typical tax bill
$964
0.98% of home value · IL 2.01%

What stands out about how Cobden is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $978 per resident, more than 90% of 637 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer33% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Cobden School Unit District 17 with 1 other town.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $964 a year: 0.98% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.
Compared with similar places

$978 per resident in 2022: more than 90% of them

Cobden’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($978 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. Cobden spent more than 90% of them.

Middle half of the group, $342–$713Median $501Cobden

Includes sewer and trash ($141,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
637

Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Cobden itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $978 per resident a year, or $2.68 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 29%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 41%From the state 28%Interest, fines & other 12%Fees & charges 11%Property taxes 5%Sales taxes 3%From the federal government 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $205,000; interest on debt $27,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.6 million.
About “Other”.27% of Cobden’s day-to-day spending ($273,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

Cobden reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $964 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.98% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Illinois$5,298
Cobden$964
$964
typical bill a year
0.98%
effective rate
$98,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Cobden’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 Cobden’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cobden →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Cobden

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Cobden’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Cobden yet.
Who works for Cobden

One full-time village employee for every 105 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 (1,053).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings3
Police1 + 4 pt
Water & other utilities3
Roads & transportation1
Sewer & trash1
Other1 + 1 pt
10
full-time
5
part-time
$39,605
payroll for March 2022
$475,260
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$44,300
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
1
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Cobden had 9.5 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 472 of the 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 2.1: Cobden had more than 93% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Cobden School Unit District 17

Cobden’s K–12 school district, shared with Alto Pass. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Cobden →
$18,206
per pupil · IL $21,567
447
students
$7 million
long-term debt

Of the $18,206 per pupil, $11,832 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 23%State 70%Federal 7%

Illinois districts overall: 52% local, 38% state, 10% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Cobden’s votes are counted by county

Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Cobden alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Union County’s results.

President · Union County’s results8,270 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican70.6%5,837 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat27.6%2,285 votes

Others: 1.8% (148 votes).

Most votes in Union County: Donald J Trump

Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%

The county’s page

100% of Cobden lies in Union County. Every 2024 race in Union County is on the county’s page.

Union County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Cobden

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Cobden.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Illinois HouseState representatives
    Scott Doody
  3. 3
    Illinois SenateState senator
    Paul Jacobs
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    J. B. Pritzker
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Mike Bost
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Illinois
    Richard J. DurbinTammy Duckworth

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Cobden’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Cobden’s government

How much does Cobden spend per resident?

About $978 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 $978 was more than 90% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Cobden?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $964 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.98% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.

Who runs Cobden’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cobden yet.

How did Cobden vote in 2024?

Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Cobden alone. Union County, where 100% of Cobden lies, voted Trump 70.6%, Harris 27.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Cobden?

10 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $39,605 (about $475,260 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Cobden 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 Cobden’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →