Photo: Gerald Roll · Public domainEffingham spent more per resident in 2022 than 69% of similar cities
Effingham’s city government spent $16.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $1,322 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Effingham is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,322 per resident in 2022: more than 69% of them
Effingham’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,322 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 97 Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,094, and the middle half spent $794–$1,485. Effingham spent more than 69% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.7 million), 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Effingham itself left out).
About $1,322 per resident a year, or $3.62 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Effingham reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, the same as 111 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $2,879 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.62% 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 Effingham’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 Effingham’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Effingham →
Who’s in charge in Effingham
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Effingham’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on effinghamil.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 114 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (12,601).
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.
Effingham Community Unit School District 40
Effingham’s K–12 school district, shared with Edgewood, Mason, Watson, Mason Township, Watson Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,887 per pupil, $9,799 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.
Teutopolis Community Unit School District 50 · $11,134 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Effingham’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Effingham alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Effingham County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican78.9%15,124 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat18.9%3,617 votesOthers: 2.3% (436 votes).
Most votes in Effingham County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Effingham lies in Effingham County. Every 2024 race in Effingham County is on the county’s page.
Effingham 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 Effingham.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: effinghamil.com ↗
- 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 Effingham compares with the towns next door
Effingham spent $1,322 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Teutopolis Township | $43 | $3,668 |
| Douglas Township | $44 | $2,894 |
| Summit Township | estimate | $4,178 |
| Effingham | $1,322 | $2,879 |
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 Effingham’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Effingham’s government
How much does Effingham spend per resident?
About $1,322 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 $1,322 was more than 69% of 97 Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Effingham?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,879 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.62% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see effinghamil.com.
Who runs Effingham’s government?
See effinghamil.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Effingham yet.
How did Effingham vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Effingham alone. Effingham County, where 100% of Effingham lies, voted Trump 78.9%, Harris 18.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Effingham?
111 full-time and 30 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $808,522 (about $9.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Effingham in the state legislature?
State Senate District 54 (Steve McClure) and State House District 107 (Brad Halbrook). The House district also covers 96 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Effingham’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 →