Dowell spent more per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities
Dowell’s village government spent $272,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $706 per resident. Water and other utilities ($385,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Dowell is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$706 per resident in 2022: more than 74% of them
Dowell’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($706 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. Dowell spent more than 74% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($89,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Dowell itself left out).
About $706 per resident a year, or $1.93 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Dowell reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $724 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.43% 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 Dowell’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 Dowell’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dowell →
Who’s in charge in Dowell
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time village employee for every 96 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 (385).
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.
Elverado Community Unit School District 196
Dowell’s K–12 school district, shared with Elkville, Vergennes Township, Vergennes, Elk Township, Ora Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,144 per pupil, $9,972 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.
Dowell’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Dowell alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jackson County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat50.2%11,394 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican46.7%10,614 votesOthers: 3.1% (708 votes).
Most votes in Jackson County: Kamala D Harris
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Dowell lies in Jackson County. Every 2024 race in Jackson County is on the county’s page.
Jackson 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 Dowell.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal 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.
Reach Dowell’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Dowell’s government
How much does Dowell spend per resident?
About $706 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $706 was more than 74% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Dowell?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $724 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.43% 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 Dowell’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dowell yet.
How did Dowell vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Dowell alone. Jackson County, where 100% of Dowell lies, voted Harris 50.2%, Trump 46.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Dowell?
4 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $12,369 (about $148,428 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Dowell 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 Dowell’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 →