Photo: Wikigaurabia · CC BY-SA 3.0Grafton spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Grafton’s city government spent $1.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $1,582 per resident.
What stands out about how Grafton is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,582 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them
Grafton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,582 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. Grafton spent more than 96% of 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; Grafton itself left out).
About $1,582 per resident a year, or $4.33 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Grafton reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,861 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.76% 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 Grafton’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 Grafton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Grafton →
Who’s in charge in Grafton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Grafton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofgrafton.org/?f ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 115 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 (691).
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.
Jersey Community Unit School District 100
Grafton’s K–12 school district, shared with Elsah, English Township, Fieldon, Jerseyville, Kane and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,641 per pupil, $8,951 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.
Grafton’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Grafton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jersey County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican73.9%8,684 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat24.0%2,816 votesOthers: 2.1% (246 votes).
Most votes in Jersey County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Grafton lies in Jersey County. Every 2024 race in Jersey County is on the county’s page.
Jersey 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 Grafton.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofgrafton.org/?f ↗
- 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.
Reach Grafton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Grafton’s government
How much does Grafton spend per resident?
About $1,582 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 $1,582 was more than 96% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Grafton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,861 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.76% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofgrafton.org/?f.
Who runs Grafton’s government?
See cityofgrafton.org/?f for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Grafton yet.
How did Grafton vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Grafton alone. Jersey County, where 100% of Grafton lies, voted Trump 73.9%, Harris 24.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Grafton?
6 full-time and 19 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $35,495 (about $425,940 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Grafton in the state legislature?
State Senate District 50 (Jil Tracy) and State House District 100 (C.D. Davidsmeyer). The House district also covers 139 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Grafton’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 →