Photo: Nyttend · Public domainHow is Murphysboro run?
Murphysboro’s city government spent $6.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $928 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Murphysboro is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $928 per resident a year, or $2.54 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$928 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Murphysboro’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($928 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 166 Illinois cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $880, and the middle half spent $696–$1,158. Murphysboro spent more than 57% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($660,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Murphysboro itself left out).
No trend yet
Murphysboro reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,669 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.94% 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 Murphysboro’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 Murphysboro’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Murphysboro →
Who’s in charge in Murphysboro
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Murphysboro’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on murphysboro.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 121 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 (7,384).
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.
Murphysboro Community Unit School District 186
Murphysboro’s K–12 school district, shared with Gorham, Sand Ridge Township, Murphysboro Township, Pomona Township, Somerset Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,286 per pupil, $10,671 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.
Murphysboro’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Murphysboro alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jackson County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat50.2%11,394 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican46.7%10,614 votesOthers: 3.1% (708 votes).
Most votes in Jackson County: Kamala D Harris
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Murphysboro lies in Jackson County. Every 2024 race in Jackson County is on the county’s page.
Jackson 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 Murphysboro.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: murphysboro.com ↗
- 2Illinois HouseMurphysboro 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.
Reach Murphysboro’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Murphysboro’s government
How much does Murphysboro spend per resident?
About $928 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $928 was more than 57% of 166 Illinois cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Murphysboro?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,669 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.94% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see murphysboro.com.
Who runs Murphysboro’s government?
See murphysboro.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Murphysboro yet.
How did Murphysboro vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Murphysboro alone. Jackson County, where 100% of Murphysboro lies, voted Harris 50.2%, Trump 46.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Murphysboro?
61 full-time and 51 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $392,274 (about $4.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Murphysboro in the state legislature?
Murphysboro is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Illinois Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Murphysboro’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 →