Dorchester Township spent less per resident in 2022 than 86% of similar towns
Dorchester Township’s town government spent $175,000 on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, about $121 per resident.
What stands out about how Dorchester Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$121 per resident in 2022: less than 86% of them
Dorchester Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($121 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 860 Illinois towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $265, and the middle half spent $165–$397. Dorchester Township spent less than 86% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Illinois towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Dorchester Township itself left out).
About $121 per resident a year, or $0.33 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 58%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Dorchester Township collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Dorchester Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,569 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.21% 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 Dorchester Township’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 Dorchester Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dorchester Township →
Who’s in charge in Dorchester Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 145 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,452).
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.
Bunker Hill Community Unit School District 8
Dorchester Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Bunker Hill, Bunker Hill Township, Royal Lakes. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,848 per pupil, $9,954 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.
Staunton Community Unit School District 6 · $12,987 per pupil
Gillespie Community Unit School District 7 · $15,374 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Dorchester Township voted in 2024
Official results for Dorchester Township’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican68.2%546 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat29.7%238 votesOthers: 2.1% (17 votes).
Most votes in Dorchester Township: Donald J Trump
Macoupin County: Trump 68.3%, Harris 29.3% · Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
of Dorchester Township’s 1,256 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: Nikki Budzinski
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Dorchester Township, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester Township | 68.2% | 29.7% | 2.1% | 801 |
| Macoupin County | 68.3% | 29.3% | 2.4% | 23,525 |
| Illinois | 43.5% | 54.4% | 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 Dorchester Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Dorchester Township compares with the towns next door
Dorchester Township spent $121 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $48 to $861. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Bunker Hill Township | $48 | $2,751 |
| Staunton Township | $48 | $2,038 |
| Gillespie Township | $107 | $1,463 |
| Dorchester | $861 | $1,083 |
| Dorchester Township | $121 | $2,569 |
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 Dorchester Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Dorchester Township’s government
How much does Dorchester Township spend per resident?
About $121 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $121 was less than 86% of 860 Illinois towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Dorchester Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,569 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.21% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Dorchester Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dorchester Township yet.
How did Dorchester Township vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 68.2%, Kamala D Harris 29.7% (801 votes, official results). Macoupin County: Trump 68.3%, Harris 29.3%. Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%.
How many people work for Dorchester Township?
10 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $56,072 (about $672,864 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Dorchester Township 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 Dorchester Township’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 →