Photo: Nyttend · Public domainHow is Jonesboro run?
Jonesboro’s city government spent $836,000 on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $499 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Jonesboro is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $499 per resident a year, or $1.37 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$499 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Jonesboro’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($499 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. Jonesboro spent less than 50% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($113,000), 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; Jonesboro itself left out).
No trend yet
Jonesboro reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,792 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.68% 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 Jonesboro’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 Jonesboro’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Jonesboro →
Who’s in charge in Jonesboro
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 65 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 (1,677).
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.
Anna Jonesboro Community High School District 81
Jonesboro’s high school district, shared with Anna, Mill Creek. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,998 per pupil, $10,547 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.
Jonesboro Community Consolidated School District 43 · $15,889 per pupil
Anna Community Consolidated School District 37 · $16,123 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Jonesboro voted in 2024
Official results for Jonesboro’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican74.0%1,075 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat24.7%358 votesOthers: 1.3% (19 votes).
Most votes in Jonesboro: Donald J Trump
Union County: Trump 70.6%, Harris 27.6% · Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
Most votes in the district: Mike Bost
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Jonesboro, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonesboro | 74.0% | 24.7% | 1.3% | 1,452 |
| Union County | 70.6% | 27.6% | 1.8% | 8,270 |
| Illinois | 43.5% | 54.4% | 2.2% | 5,633,310 |
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 Jonesboro.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Jonesboro compares with the towns next door
Jonesboro spent $499 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Anna | estimate | $1,577 |
| Jonesboro | $499 | $1,792 |
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 Jonesboro’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Jonesboro’s government
How much does Jonesboro spend per resident?
About $499 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 $499 was less than 50% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Jonesboro?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,792 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.68% 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 Jonesboro’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Jonesboro yet.
How did Jonesboro vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 74.0%, Kamala D Harris 24.7% (1,452 votes, official results). Union County: Trump 70.6%, Harris 27.6%. Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%.
How many people work for Jonesboro?
26 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $96,123 (about $1.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Jonesboro 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 Jonesboro’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 →