Dawson spent less per resident in 2022 than 76% of similar cities
Dawson’s village government spent $163,000 on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $341 per resident. Water and other utilities ($264,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Dawson is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$341 per resident in 2022: less than 76% of them
Dawson’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($341 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 $503, and the middle half spent $344–$713. Dawson spent less than 76% of 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; Dawson itself left out).
About $341 per resident a year, or $0.93 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 74%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Dawson reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,515 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.66% 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 Dawson’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 Dawson’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dawson →
Who’s in charge in Dawson
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Dawson’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on dawson.illinois.gov ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 159 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 (478).
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.
Tri-City Community Unit School District 1
Dawson’s K–12 school district, shared with Buffalo, Mechanicsburg Township, Mechanicsburg, Buffalo Hart Township, Lanesville Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,228 per pupil, $7,964 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.
Dawson’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Dawson alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Sangamon County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican50.9%50,979 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.0%46,074 votesOthers: 3.0% (3,046 votes).
Most votes in Sangamon County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Dawson lies in Sangamon County. Every 2024 race in Sangamon County is on the county’s page.
Sangamon 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 Dawson.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: dawson.illinois.gov ↗
- 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 Dawson’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Dawson’s government
How much does Dawson spend per resident?
About $341 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 $341 was less than 76% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Dawson?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,515 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.66% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see dawson.illinois.gov.
Who runs Dawson’s government?
See dawson.illinois.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dawson yet.
How did Dawson vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Dawson alone. Sangamon County, where 100% of Dawson lies, voted Trump 50.9%, Harris 46.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Dawson?
3 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $10,930 (about $131,160 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Dawson in the state legislature?
State Senate District 54 (Steve McClure) and State House District 108 (Wayne Rosenthal). The House district also covers 105 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Dawson’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 →