Photo: Katherine Johnson from Springfield, IL · CC BY 2.0How is Lincoln run?
Lincoln’s city government spent $12.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $900 per resident.
What stands out about how Lincoln is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Lincoln Community High School District 404
Lincoln’s high school district, shared with Aetna Township, Atlanta Township, Barnett Township, Broadwell Township, Broadwell and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,062 per pupil, $9,303 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.
Lincoln Elementary School District 27 · $18,473 per pupil
West Lincoln-Broadwell Elementary School District 92 · $17,281 per pupil
Chester-East Lincoln Community CSD 61 · $12,308 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $900 per resident a year, or $2.47 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$900 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Lincoln’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($900 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 97 Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,105, and the middle half spent $794–$1,485. Lincoln spent less than 60% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Lincoln itself left out).
No trend yet
Lincoln reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,209 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.78% 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 Lincoln’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 Lincoln’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lincoln →
Who’s in charge in Lincoln
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Lincoln’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityoflincoln-il.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 258 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (13,404).
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.
Lincoln’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lincoln alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Logan County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican69.3%8,757 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat28.1%3,543 votesOthers: 2.6% (330 votes).
Most votes in Logan County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Lincoln lies in Logan County. Every 2024 race in Logan County is on the county’s page.
Logan 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 Lincoln.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityoflincoln-il.gov ↗
- 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 Lincoln compares with the towns next door
Lincoln spent $900 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| West Lincoln Township | $37 | $2,355 |
| Broadwell Township | $62 | $2,550 |
| Lincoln | $900 | $2,209 |
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 Lincoln’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Lincoln’s government
How much does Lincoln spend per resident?
About $900 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 $900 was less than 60% of 97 Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lincoln?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,209 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.78% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityoflincoln-il.gov.
Who runs Lincoln’s government?
See cityoflincoln-il.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lincoln yet.
How did Lincoln vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lincoln alone. Logan County, where 100% of Lincoln lies, voted Trump 69.3%, Harris 28.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Lincoln?
52 full-time and 17 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $333,760 (about $4.0M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Lincoln in the state legislature?
State Senate District 44 (Sally Turner) and State House District 87 (Bill Hauter). The House district also covers 92 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Lincoln’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 →