Gardner spent more per resident in 2022 than 92% of similar cities
Gardner’s village government spent $1.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $1,099 per resident. Water and other utilities ($143,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Gardner is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$1,099 per resident in 2022: more than 92% of them
Gardner’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,099 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $501, and the middle half spent $342–$713. Gardner spent more than 92% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($215,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Gardner itself left out).
About $1,099 per resident a year, or $3.01 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 14%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Gardner reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,914 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.96% 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 Gardner’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Gardner’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Gardner →
Who’s in charge in Gardner
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time village employee for every 459 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 (1,377).
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.
Gardner Community Consolidated School District 72C
Gardner’s elementary school district, shared with Garfield Township, Maine Township, South Wilmington. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,090 per pupil, $11,455 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.
Gardner-South Wilmington Township High School District · $30,824 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Gardner’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Gardner alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Grundy County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican63.6%16,997 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat34.2%9,143 votesOthers: 2.2% (578 votes).
Most votes in Grundy County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Gardner lies in Grundy County. Every 2024 race in Grundy County is on the county’s page.
Grundy 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 Gardner.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Illinois HouseGardner 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 Gardner compares with the towns next door
Gardner spent $1,099 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Garfield Township | $71 | $3,929 |
| Greenfield Township | $168 | $3,804 |
| Gardner | $1,099 | $3,914 |
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 Gardner’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Gardner’s government
How much does Gardner spend per resident?
About $1,099 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 $1,099 was more than 92% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Gardner?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,914 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.96% 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 Gardner’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Gardner yet.
How did Gardner vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Gardner alone. Grundy County, where 100% of Gardner lies, voted Trump 63.6%, Harris 34.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Gardner?
3 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $12,952 (about $155,424 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Gardner in the state legislature?
Gardner is split among 2 State House districts and 2 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 Gardner’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 →