How is Northlake run?
Northlake’s city government spent $15.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,217 per resident. Water and other utilities ($5.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Northlake is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,217 per resident a year, or $3.33 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 52%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,277 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Northlake’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,277 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 $1,094, and the middle half spent $794–$1,485. Northlake spent more than 63% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($731,000), 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Northlake itself left out).
Day-to-day spending has held about steady since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Northlake reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,277 · 2023: $1,217. Per resident it went from $1,277 to $1,217 (down 5%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 12,025 to 12,664.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $6,005 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.31% 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 Northlake’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 Northlake’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Northlake →
Who’s in charge in Northlake
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Northlake’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on northlakecity.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 192 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 2023 finance file (12,664).
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.
Leyden Community High School District 212
Northlake’s high school district, shared with Franklin Park, River Grove, Schiller Park, Leyden Township, Rosemont and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $27,779 per pupil, $14,488 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.
Berkeley School District 87 · $21,366 per pupil
Mannheim School District 83 · $26,191 per pupil
Proviso Township High School District 209 · $19,566 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Northlake’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Northlake alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Cook County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat68.9%1,447,821 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican27.8%583,852 votesOthers: 3.3% (70,005 votes).
Most votes in Cook County: Kamala D Harris
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Northlake lies in Cook County. Every 2024 race in Cook County is on the county’s page.
Cook 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 Northlake.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: northlakecity.com ↗
- 2Illinois HouseNorthlake 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.
How Northlake compares with the towns next door
Northlake spent $1,277 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $31 to $2,443. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Proviso Township | $31 | $6,477 |
| York Township | $60 | $7,724 |
| Elmhurst | $1,449 | $9,466 |
| Berkeley | $1,622 | $6,224 |
| Melrose Park | $2,443 | $5,717 |
| Franklin Park | estimate | $6,561 |
| Stone Park | estimate | $6,021 |
| Northlake | $1,277 | $6,005 |
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 Northlake’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Northlake’s government
How much does Northlake spend per resident?
About $1,217 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,277 was more than 63% of 97 Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Northlake?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,005 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.31% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see northlakecity.com.
Who runs Northlake’s government?
See northlakecity.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Northlake yet.
How did Northlake vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Northlake alone. Cook County, where 100% of Northlake lies, voted Harris 68.9%, Trump 27.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Northlake?
66 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $414,700 (about $5.0M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Northlake in the state legislature?
Northlake 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 Northlake’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 →