Photo: Stevedrone91 · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Freeport run?
Freeport’s city government spent $26.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $1,127 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.9 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Freeport is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,127 per resident a year, or $3.09 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,127 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Freeport’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,127 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. Freeport spent more than 53% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.6 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; Freeport itself left out).
No trend yet
Freeport reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 167 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $2,411 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.62% 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 Freeport’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 Freeport’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Freeport →
Who’s in charge in Freeport
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Freeport’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityoffreeport.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 125 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 (23,447).
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.
Freeport School District 145
Freeport’s K–12 school district, shared with Cedarville, Freeport Township, Ridott, Harlem Township, Silver Creek Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $22,691 per pupil, $10,209 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.
Freeport’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Freeport alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Stephenson County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican58.5%12,347 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat39.2%8,278 votesOthers: 2.3% (481 votes).
Most votes in Stephenson County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Freeport lies in Stephenson County. Every 2024 race in Stephenson County is on the county’s page.
Stephenson 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 Freeport.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityoffreeport.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 Freeport compares with the towns next door
Freeport spent $1,127 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Freeport Township | $42 | $2,411 |
| Harlem Township | $255 | $4,432 |
| Florence Township | $377 | $4,801 |
| Silver Creek Township | $672 | $3,863 |
| Lancaster Township | estimate | $3,340 |
| Freeport | $1,127 | $2,411 |
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 Freeport’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Freeport’s government
How much does Freeport spend per resident?
About $1,127 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 $1,127 was more than 53% of 97 Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Freeport?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,411 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.62% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityoffreeport.org.
Who runs Freeport’s government?
See cityoffreeport.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Freeport yet.
How did Freeport vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Freeport alone. Stephenson County, where 100% of Freeport lies, voted Trump 58.5%, Harris 39.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Freeport?
188 full-time and 23 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.2M (about $14.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Freeport in the state legislature?
State Senate District 45 (Andrew Chesney) and State House District 90 (John Cabello). The House district also covers 36 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Freeport’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 →