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Grand Tower, Illinois, Front StreetPhoto: Markkaempfer · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Grand Tower

Grand Tower spent less per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar cities

Grand Tower’s city government spent $216,000 on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $386 per resident. Water and other utilities ($228,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$216,000
year to April 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$386
In 2022: $386, less than 68% of 637 similar cities
Long-term debt
$2,000
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
1
full-time · 5 part-time · March payroll $10,993
Typical tax bill
$350
0.90% of home value · IL 2.01%

What stands out about how Grand Tower is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $386 per resident, less than 68% of 637 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer75% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Shawnee Community Unit School District 84 with 3 other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $350 a year: 0.90% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.
Compared with similar places

$386 per resident in 2022: less than 68% of them

Grand Tower’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($386 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 $503, and the middle half spent $342–$713. Grand Tower spent less than 68% of them.

Middle half of the group, $342–$713Median $503Grand Tower

Includes sewer and trash ($121,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
637

Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Grand Tower itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $386 per resident a year, or $1.06 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 56%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 40%From the state 29%Fees & charges 13%From the federal government 6%Interest, fines & other 6%Sales taxes 3%Property taxes 3%Other taxes & licenses 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $664,000; interest on debt $1,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.1 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

Grand Tower reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $350 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.90% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Illinois$5,298
Grand Tower$350
$350
typical bill a year
0.90%
effective rate
$39,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Grand Tower’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 Grand Tower’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Grand Tower →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Grand Tower

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Grand Tower’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Grand Tower yet.
Who works for Grand Tower

One full-time city employee for every 560 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 (560).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings0 + 4 pt
Roads & transportation1
Police0 + 1 pt
1
full-time
5
part-time
$10,993
payroll for March 2022
$131,916
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$63,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Grand Tower had 1.8 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 472 of the 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 2.2: Grand Tower had fewer than 53% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Shawnee Community Unit School District 84

Grand Tower’s K–12 school district, shared with East Cape Girardeau, Grand Tower Township, McClure. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Grand Tower →
$19,175
per pupil · IL $21,567
292
students
$535,000
long-term debt

Of the $19,175 per pupil, $9,178 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 31%State 57%Federal 12%

Illinois districts overall: 52% local, 38% state, 10% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Grand Tower’s votes are counted by county

Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Grand Tower alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jackson County’s results.

President · Jackson County’s results22,716 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat50.2%11,394 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican46.7%10,614 votes

Others: 3.1% (708 votes).

Most votes in Jackson County: Kamala D Harris

Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%

The county’s page

100% of Grand Tower lies in Jackson County. Every 2024 race in Jackson County is on the county’s page.

Jackson County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Grand Tower

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Grand Tower.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Illinois HouseState representatives
    Scott Doody
  3. 3
    Illinois SenateState senator
    Paul Jacobs
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    J. B. Pritzker
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Mike Bost
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Illinois
    Richard J. DurbinTammy Duckworth

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Grand Tower’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Grand Tower’s government

How much does Grand Tower spend per resident?

About $386 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 $386 was less than 68% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Grand Tower?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $350 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.90% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Grand Tower’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Grand Tower yet.

How did Grand Tower vote in 2024?

Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Grand Tower alone. Jackson County, where 100% of Grand Tower lies, voted Harris 50.2%, Trump 46.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Grand Tower?

1 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $10,993 (about $131,916 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Grand Tower in the state legislature?

State Senate District 59 (Paul Jacobs) and State House District 118 (Scott Doody). The House district also covers 41 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Grand Tower’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →