East Alton spent more per resident in 2022 than 70% of similar cities
East Alton’s village government spent $6.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $1,075 per resident. Water and other utilities ($983,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how East Alton is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$1,075 per resident in 2022: more than 70% of them
East Alton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,075 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 166 Illinois cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $880, and the middle half spent $696–$1,158. East Alton spent more than 70% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($881,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; East Alton itself left out).
About $1,075 per resident a year, or $2.95 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
East Alton reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,323 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.18% 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 East Alton’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.
Tax bills are one input to East Alton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in East Alton →
Who’s in charge in East Alton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time village employee for every 141 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 (5,922).
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.
East Alton-Wood River Community High School District 14
East Alton’s high school district, shared with Alton, Alton Township, Chouteau Township, Edwardsville, Granite City and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,317 per pupil, $9,477 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.
East Alton School District 13 · $20,263 per pupil
Bethalto Consolidated Unit School District 8 · $16,148 per pupil
Alton Community Unit School District 11 · $18,464 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
East Alton’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for East Alton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Madison County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.1%73,925 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat42.0%56,341 votesOthers: 2.8% (3,790 votes).
Most votes in Madison County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of East Alton lies in Madison County. Every 2024 race in Madison County is on the county’s page.
Madison 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 East Alton.
- 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.
How East Alton compares with the towns next door
East Alton spent $1,075 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $46 to $1,369. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Alton Township | $46 | $1,900 |
| Wood River Township | $87 | $2,143 |
| Wood River | $1,369 | $2,133 |
| Alton | estimate | $1,900 |
| East Alton | $1,075 | $2,323 |
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 East Alton’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about East Alton’s government
How much does East Alton spend per resident?
About $1,075 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 $1,075 was more than 70% of 166 Illinois cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in East Alton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,323 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.18% 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 East Alton’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for East Alton yet.
How did East Alton vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for East Alton alone. Madison County, where 100% of East Alton lies, voted Trump 55.1%, Harris 42.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for East Alton?
42 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $283,297 (about $3.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents East Alton in the state legislature?
State Senate District 56 (Erica Harriss) and State House District 111 (Amy Elik). The House district also covers 23 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about East Alton’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 →