Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0Downs spent more per resident in 2022 than 85% of similar cities
Downs’ village government spent $775,000 on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $817 per resident. Water and other utilities ($115,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Downs is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$817 per resident in 2022: more than 85% of them
Downs’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($817 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. Downs spent more than 85% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($36,000), 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; Downs itself left out).
About $817 per resident a year, or $2.24 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 36%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Downs reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $6,188 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.57% 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 Downs’ 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 Downs’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Downs →
Who’s in charge in Downs
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Downs’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on villageofdowns.org ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 475 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 (949).
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-Valley Community Unit School District 3
Downs’ K–12 school district, shared with Ellsworth, Dawson Township, Old Town Township, Downs Township, Blue Mound Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,198 per pupil, $9,678 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.
Downs’ votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Downs alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are McLean County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat50.9%44,495 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican46.1%40,290 votesOthers: 3.1% (2,684 votes).
Most votes in McLean County: Kamala D Harris
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Downs lies in McLean County. Every 2024 race in McLean County is on the county’s page.
McLean 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 Downs.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: villageofdowns.org ↗
- 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 Downs compares with the towns next door
Downs spent $817 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Old Town Township | $118 | $7,524 |
| Downs Township | $183 | $5,018 |
| Downs | $817 | $6,188 |
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 Downs’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Downs’ government
How much does Downs spend per resident?
About $817 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 $817 was more than 85% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Downs?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,188 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.57% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see villageofdowns.org.
Who runs Downs’ government?
See villageofdowns.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Downs yet.
How did Downs vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Downs alone. McLean County, where 100% of Downs lies, voted Harris 50.9%, Trump 46.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Downs?
2 full-time and 20 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $30,268 (about $363,216 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Downs in the state legislature?
State Senate District 44 (Sally Turner) and State House District 88 (Regan Deering). The House district also covers 74 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Downs’ 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 →