Photo: SounderBruce · CC BY-SA 4.0Elgin spent less per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities
Elgin’s city government spent $155.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,371 per resident. Water and other utilities ($27.9 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Elgin is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
$1,258 per resident in 2022: less than 67% of them
Elgin’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,258 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 21 Illinois cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,345, and the middle half spent $1,154–$1,546. Elgin spent less than 67% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($7.7 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 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Elgin itself left out).
About $1,371 per resident a year, or $3.76 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 36%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 12% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Elgin reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,258 · 2023: $1,211 · 2024: $1,371.
full-time in March 2025, up from 629 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $6,184 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.27% 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 Elgin’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 Elgin’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Elgin →
Recent meetings
From Elgin’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
No upcoming meetings are posted yet.
Recent meetings
- Oct28Committee of the WholeWednesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall Council Chambers, 150 Dexter CourtMeeting page ↗
- Oct14City CouncilWednesday · 7:00 pm · City Hall Council Chambers, 150 Dexter CourtMeeting page ↗
- Oct14Committee of the WholeWednesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall Council Chambers, 150 Dexter CourtMeeting page ↗
- Sep23City CouncilWednesday · 7:00 pm · City Hall Council Chambers, 150 Dexter CourtMeeting page ↗
- Sep23Committee of the WholeWednesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall Council Chambers, 150 Dexter CourtMeeting page ↗
- Sep9City CouncilWednesday · 7:00 pm · City Hall Council Chambers, 150 Dexter CourtMeeting page ↗
- Sep9Committee of the WholeWednesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall Council Chambers, 150 Dexter CourtAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Aug26Committee of the WholeWednesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall Council Chambers, 150 Dexter CourtMeeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗Who’s in charge in Elgin
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 155 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (113,177).
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.
School District U-46
Elgin’s K–12 school district, shared with Bartlett, Streamwood, Hanover Township, Elgin Township, Wayne and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,472 per pupil, $13,091 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.
Central Community Unit School District 301 · $15,727 per pupil
Community Unit School District 300 · $18,172 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Elgin’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Elgin alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Kane County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat54.0%120,077 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican44.6%99,260 votesOthers: 1.4% (3,027 votes).
Most votes in Kane County: Kamala D Harris
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
79% of Elgin lies in Kane County; the rest in Cook County. Every 2024 race in Kane County is on the county’s page.
Kane 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
Elgin sends 5 representatives to the Illinois House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofelgin.org ↗
- 2Illinois HouseElgin is split between 5 districts
- 3Illinois SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Illinois
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Elgin compares with the towns next door
Elgin spent $1,258 per resident in 2022; the 10 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $34 to $1,211. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Elgin Township | $34 | $6,441 |
| Dundee Township | $39 | $6,619 |
| Hanover Township | $81 | $6,457 |
| Plato Township | $193 | $10,000+ |
| Campton Hills | $291 | $10,000+ |
| Pingree Grove | $327 | $7,391 |
| Gilberts | $555 | $8,462 |
| South Elgin | $702 | $7,922 |
| Bartlett | $770 | $9,136 |
| West Dundee | $1,211 | $9,002 |
| Elgin | $1,258 | $6,184 |
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 Elgin’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Elgin’s government
How much does Elgin spend per resident?
About $1,371 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,258 was less than 67% of 21 Illinois cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Elgin?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,184 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.27% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofelgin.org.
Who runs Elgin’s government?
See cityofelgin.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Elgin yet.
How did Elgin vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Elgin alone. Kane County, where 79% of Elgin lies, voted Harris 54.0%, Trump 44.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Elgin?
730 full-time and 328 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $7.6M (about $91.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Elgin in the state legislature?
Elgin is split among 5 State House districts and 4 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Illinois Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Elgin’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 →