Photo: Catching12 · CC BY 3.0How is Granite City run?
Granite City’s city government spent $54 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2023, about $1,966 per resident.
What stands out about how Granite City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
East Alton-Wood River Community High School District 14
Granite City’s high school district, shared with Alton, Alton Township, Chouteau Township, East Alton, Edwardsville and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,317 per pupil, $9,477 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.
Granite City Community Unit School District 9 · $13,631 per pupil
Wood River-Hartford Elementary School District 15 · $19,649 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $1,966 per resident a year, or $5.39 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No comparison or trend for Granite City yet
The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample), and Granite City’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate (it reported none of its 2022 dollars). It reported 2023 only (2022 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet either. The next full count is 2027.
How Town Hall compares budgets →full-time in March 2025, down from 219 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $2,062 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.98% 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 Granite City’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 Granite City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Granite City →
Who’s in charge in Granite City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Granite City’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on granitecity.illinois.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 145 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (27,484).
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.
Granite City’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Granite City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Madison County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.1%73,925 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat42.0%56,341 votesOthers: 2.8% (3,790 votes).
Most votes in Madison County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Granite City lies in Madison County. Every 2024 race in Madison County is on the county’s page.
Madison 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 Granite City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: granitecity.illinois.gov ↗
- 2Illinois HouseGranite City 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 Granite City compares with the towns next door
Granite City’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate, so it isn’t placed among them. Neighbors that reported 2022 spent $56 to $1,552 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Granite City Township | $56 | $1,993 |
| Nameoki Township | $86 | $2,326 |
| Venice Township | $108 | $1,223 |
| Chouteau Township | $120 | $1,606 |
| Pontoon Beach | $1,552 | $2,386 |
| Madison | estimate | $1,267 |
| Hartford | estimate | $942 |
| Granite City | estimate | $2,062 |
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 Granite City’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Granite City’s government
How much does Granite City spend per resident?
About $1,966 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau.
What is the property tax rate in Granite City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,062 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.98% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see granitecity.illinois.gov.
Who runs Granite City’s government?
See granitecity.illinois.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Granite City yet.
How did Granite City vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Granite City alone. Madison County, where 100% of Granite City lies, voted Trump 55.1%, Harris 42.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Granite City?
189 full-time and 31 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.3M (about $15.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Granite City in the state legislature?
Granite City is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Illinois Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 56 (Erica Harriss). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Granite City’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 →