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New Boston ILPhoto: Mitchazenia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · New Boston

New Boston spent more per resident in 2022 than 87% of similar cities

New Boston’s city government spent $551,000 on day-to-day services in the year to November 30, 2022, about $856 per resident. Water and other utilities ($332,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$551,000
year to November 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$856
In 2022: $856, more than 87% of 637 similar cities
Long-term debt
$587,000
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
2
full-time · 14 part-time · March payroll $18,743
Typical tax bill
$1,617
1.69% of home value · IL 2.01%

What stands out about how New Boston is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$856 per resident in 2022: more than 87% of them

New Boston’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($856 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. New Boston spent more than 87% of them.

Middle half of the group, $342–$713Median $501New Boston

Includes sewer and trash ($74,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
637

Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; New Boston itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $856 per resident a year, or $2.35 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 44%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 39%Fees & charges 31%From the state 19%Interest, fines & other 6%Property taxes 4%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $16,000; interest on debt $26,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $927,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

New Boston reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,617 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.69% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Illinois$5,298
New Boston Township$1,992
New Boston$1,617
$1,617
typical bill a year
1.69%
effective rate
$95,400
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at New Boston’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 New Boston’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in New Boston →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in New Boston

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check New Boston’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for New Boston yet.
Who works for New Boston

One full-time city employee for every 322 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 (644).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings0 + 10 pt
Police0 + 2 pt
Sewer & trash1
Water & other utilities1
Parks & libraries0 + 1 pt
Other0 + 1 pt
2
full-time
14
part-time
$18,743
payroll for March 2022
$224,916
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$27,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.New Boston had 3.1 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 472 of the 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 2.1: New Boston had more than 59% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Mercer County School District 404

New Boston’s K–12 school district, shared with Abington Township, Aledo, Duncan Township, Eliza Township, Joy and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in New Boston →
$16,966
per pupil · IL $21,567
1,265
students
$17.7 million
long-term debt

Of the $16,966 per pupil, $9,947 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 44%State 43%Federal 12%

Illinois districts overall: 52% local, 38% state, 10% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

New Boston’s votes are counted by county

Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for New Boston alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Mercer County’s results.

President · Mercer County’s results8,374 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican62.3%5,215 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat35.2%2,950 votes

Others: 2.5% (209 votes).

Most votes in Mercer County: Donald J Trump

Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%

The county’s page

100% of New Boston lies in Mercer County. Every 2024 race in Mercer County is on the county’s page.

Mercer County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents New Boston

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for New Boston.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Illinois HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Illinois SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Illinois

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How New Boston compares with the towns next door

New Boston spent $856 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.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
New Boston Township$94$1,992
New Boston$856$1,617

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 New Boston’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about New Boston’s government

How much does New Boston spend per resident?

About $856 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to November 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $856 was more than 87% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in New Boston?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,617 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.69% 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 New Boston’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for New Boston yet.

How did New Boston vote in 2024?

Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for New Boston alone. Mercer County, where 100% of New Boston lies, voted Trump 62.3%, Harris 35.2% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for New Boston?

2 full-time and 14 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $18,743 (about $224,916 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents New Boston in the state legislature?

State Senate District 47 (Neil Anderson) and State House District 94 (Norine Hammond). The House district also covers 203 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about New Boston’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →