Photo: Randy Escalada · CC BY-SA 2.0Des Plaines spent more per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar cities
Des Plaines’ city government spent $92.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,585 per resident. Water and other utilities ($15.7 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Des Plaines is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
5 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Des Plaines’ own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov16City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Bertha Eleanor Rohrbach Memorial Council Room, Civic Center, Room 102, 1420 Miner StreetCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec7City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Bertha Eleanor Rohrbach Memorial Council Room, Civic Center, Room 102, 1420 Miner StreetCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec21City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Bertha Eleanor Rohrbach Memorial Council Room, Civic Center, Room 102, 1420 Miner StreetCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Jan4City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Bertha Eleanor Rohrbach Memorial Council Room, Civic Center, Room 102, 1420 Miner StreetCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Jan19City CouncilTuesday · 7:00 pm · Bertha Eleanor Rohrbach Memorial Council Room, Civic Center, Room 102, 1420 Miner StreetCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov2City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Bertha Eleanor Rohrbach Memorial Council Room, Civic Center, Room 102, 1420 Miner StreetCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct19City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Bertha Eleanor Rohrbach Memorial Council Room, Civic Center, Room 102, 1420 Miner StreetCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct5City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Bertha Eleanor Rohrbach Memorial Council Room, Civic Center, Room 102, 1420 Miner StreetCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Sep21City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Bertha Eleanor Rohrbach Memorial Council Room, Civic Center, Room 102, 1420 Miner StreetCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Sep8City CouncilTuesday · 7:00 pm · Bertha Eleanor Rohrbach Memorial Council Room, Civic Center, Room 102, 1420 Miner StreetCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,585 per resident a year, or $4.34 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,550 per resident in 2022: more than 77% of them
Des Plaines’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,550 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 66 Illinois cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,261, and the middle half spent $1,005–$1,527. Des Plaines spent more than 77% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Illinois cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Des Plaines itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 3% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Des Plaines reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,550 · 2023: $1,602 · 2024: $1,585.
full-time in March 2025, up from 311 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $6,344 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.89% 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 Des Plaines’ 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 Des Plaines’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Des Plaines →
Who’s in charge in Des Plaines
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 175 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 2024 finance file (58,594).
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.
Maine Township High School District 207
Des Plaines’ high school district, shared with Park Ridge, Maine Township, Niles, Chicago, Norwood Park Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $29,333 per pupil, $18,636 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.
Des Plaines Community Consolidated School District 62 · $26,014 per pupil
Township High School District 214 · $27,472 per pupil
Community Consolidated School District 59 · $25,082 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Des Plaines’ votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Des Plaines 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 Des Plaines 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
Des Plaines sends 5 representatives to the Illinois House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: desplaines.org ↗
- 2Illinois HouseDes Plaines is split between 5 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 Des Plaines compares with the towns next door
Des Plaines spent $1,550 per resident in 2022; the 9 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $33 to $18,825. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Elk Grove Township | $33 | $6,589 |
| Maine Township | $41 | $7,303 |
| Northfield Township | $46 | $10,000+ |
| Leyden Township | $60 | $6,344 |
| Mount Prospect | $1,420 | $8,425 |
| Elk Grove Village | $2,221 | $6,728 |
| Glenview | $2,224 | $10,000+ |
| Chicago | $3,168 | $4,943 |
| Rosemont | $18,825 | $7,384 |
| Park Ridge | estimate | $10,000+ |
| Des Plaines | $1,550 | $6,344 |
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 Des Plaines’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Des Plaines’ government
How much does Des Plaines spend per resident?
About $1,585 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,550 was more than 77% of 66 Illinois cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Des Plaines?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,344 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.89% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see desplaines.org.
Who runs Des Plaines’ government?
See desplaines.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Des Plaines yet.
How did Des Plaines vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Des Plaines alone. Cook County, where 100% of Des Plaines lies, voted Harris 68.9%, Trump 27.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Des Plaines?
334 full-time and 41 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $3.4M (about $41.1M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Des Plaines in the state legislature?
Des Plaines is split among 5 State House districts and 4 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Illinois Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Des Plaines?
The next posted meeting is City Council on Monday, November 16, at 7:00 pm in Bertha Eleanor Rohrbach Memorial Council Room, Civic Center, Room 102, 1420 Miner Street, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Des Plaines’ 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 →