Lanark spent more per resident in 2022 than 85% of similar cities
Lanark’s city government spent $1.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, about $816 per resident. Water and other utilities ($221,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Lanark is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$816 per resident in 2022: more than 85% of them
Lanark’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($816 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. Lanark spent more than 85% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($317,000), 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; Lanark itself left out).
About $816 per resident a year, or $2.24 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Lanark reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,740 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.80% 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 Lanark’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 Lanark’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lanark →
Who’s in charge in Lanark
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Lanark’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on lanarkil.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 102 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 (1,321).
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.
Eastland Community Unit School District 308
Lanark’s K–12 school district, shared with Shannon, Cherry Grove-Shannon Township, Rock Creek-Lima Township, Freedom Township, Florence Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,978 per pupil, $11,169 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.
Lanark’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lanark alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Carroll County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican64.6%5,082 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat33.1%2,600 votesOthers: 2.3% (180 votes).
Most votes in Carroll County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Lanark lies in Carroll County. Every 2024 race in Carroll County is on the county’s page.
Carroll 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 Lanark.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: lanarkil.com ↗
- 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 Lanark’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Lanark’s government
How much does Lanark spend per resident?
About $816 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $816 was more than 85% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lanark?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,740 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.80% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see lanarkil.com.
Who runs Lanark’s government?
See lanarkil.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lanark yet.
How did Lanark vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lanark alone. Carroll County, where 100% of Lanark lies, voted Trump 64.6%, Harris 33.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Lanark?
13 full-time and 25 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $52,034 (about $624,408 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Lanark in the state legislature?
State Senate District 45 (Andrew Chesney) and State House District 89 (Tony McCombie). The House district also covers 115 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Lanark’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 →