Photo: Madcoverboy · CC BY-SA 3.0Evanston spent more per resident in 2022 than 92% of similar cities
Evanston’s city government spent $180.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,384 per resident. Water and other utilities ($12.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Evanston is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Evanston
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: cityofevanston.org ↗
Evanston’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofevanston.org ↗.
About $2,384 per resident a year, or $6.53 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,962 per resident in 2022: more than 92% of them
Evanston’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,962 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 66 Illinois cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,261, and the middle half spent $1,005–$1,527. Evanston spent more than 92% 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 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Evanston itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 26% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Evanston 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: $1,962 · 2023: $1,930 · 2024: $2,384.
full-time in March 2025, up from 598 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $8,863 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.84% 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 Evanston’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 Evanston’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Evanston →
One full-time city employee for every 118 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (75,544).
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.
Evanston Community Consolidated School District 65
Evanston’s elementary school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $31,256 per pupil, $17,206 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.
Evanston Township High School District 202 · $31,637 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Evanston’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Evanston alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Cook County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat68.9%1,447,821 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican27.8%583,852 votesOthers: 3.3% (70,005 votes).
Most votes in Cook County: Kamala D Harris
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Evanston lies in Cook County. Every 2024 race in Cook County is on the county’s page.
Cook 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 Evanston.
- 1Your cityMayorDaniel Bissas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Illinois HouseEvanston is split between 2 districts
- 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 Evanston compares with the towns next door
Evanston spent $1,962 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $34 to $3,168. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Niles Township | $34 | $8,027 |
| New Trier Township | $58 | $10,000+ |
| Wilmette | $1,829 | $10,000+ |
| Chicago | $3,168 | $4,943 |
| Skokie | estimate | $8,048 |
| Evanston | $1,962 | $8,863 |
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 Evanston’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Evanston’s government
How much does Evanston spend per resident?
About $2,384 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 $1,962 was more than 92% of 66 Illinois cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Evanston?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $8,863 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.84% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofevanston.org.
Who is the mayor of Evanston?
Daniel Biss, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on cityofevanston.org.
How did Evanston vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Evanston alone. Cook County, where 100% of Evanston lies, voted Harris 68.9%, Trump 27.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Evanston?
641 full-time and 275 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $6.3M (about $75.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Evanston in the state legislature?
Evanston is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Illinois Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 9 (Laura Fine). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Evanston’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 →