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Town Hall · Paw Paw

Paw Paw spent more per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar cities

Paw Paw’s village government spent $744,000 on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $894 per resident. Water and other utilities ($116,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$744,000
year to April 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$894
In 2022: $894, more than 88% of 637 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022, reported
Village staff, 2022
2
full-time · 9 part-time · March payroll $13,135
Typical tax bill
$2,911
1.89% of home value · IL 2.01%

What stands out about how Paw Paw is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $894 per resident, more than 88% of 637 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer32% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Paw Paw CUSD 271 with 3 other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $2,911 a year: 1.89% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.
Compared with similar places

$894 per resident in 2022: more than 88% of them

Paw Paw’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($894 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. Paw Paw spent more than 88% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($157,000), 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; Paw Paw itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $894 per resident a year, or $2.45 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 30%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 35%From the state 34%Utility sales 16%Fees & charges 14%Sales taxes 1%Interest, fines & other 1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $21,000; interest on debt $13,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $894,000.
About “Other”.31% of Paw Paw’s day-to-day spending ($230,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,911 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.89% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Illinois$5,298
Paw Paw$2,911
$2,911
typical bill a year
1.89%
effective rate
$153,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Paw Paw

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

See pawpawil.org for Paw Paw’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Paw Paw yet.pawpawil.org ↗
Agendas

Paw Paw’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on pawpawil.org ↗.

Who works for Paw Paw

One full-time village employee for every 416 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 (832).

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

Administration & buildings2 + 9 pt
2
full-time
9
part-time
$13,135
payroll for March 2022
$157,620
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$56,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Paw Paw had 2.4 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: Paw Paw had more than 53% 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

Paw Paw CUSD 271

Paw Paw’s elementary school district, shared with Wyoming Township, Willow Creek Township, Viola Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Paw Paw →
$27,622
per pupil · IL $21,567
127
students
$1.5 million
long-term debt

Of the $27,622 per pupil, $11,362 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 70%State 22%Federal 8%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Paw Paw’s votes are counted by county

Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Paw Paw alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lee County’s results.

President · Lee County’s results16,194 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican59.8%9,680 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat37.7%6,105 votes

Others: 2.5% (409 votes).

Most votes in Lee County: Donald J Trump

Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%

The county’s page

100% of Paw Paw lies in Lee County. Every 2024 race in Lee County is on the county’s page.

Lee 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 Paw Paw

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Paw Paw.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: pawpawil.org ↗
  2. 2
    Illinois HouseState representatives
    Brad Fritts
  3. 3
    Illinois SenateState senator
    Li Arellano
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    J. B. Pritzker
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Darin LaHood
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Illinois
    Richard J. DurbinTammy Duckworth

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

Reach Paw Paw’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websitepawpawil.org ↗

Questions about Paw Paw’s government

How much does Paw Paw spend per resident?

About $894 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 $894 was more than 88% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Paw Paw?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,911 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.89% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see pawpawil.org.

Who runs Paw Paw’s government?

See pawpawil.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Paw Paw yet.

How did Paw Paw vote in 2024?

Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Paw Paw alone. Lee County, where 100% of Paw Paw lies, voted Trump 59.8%, Harris 37.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Paw Paw?

2 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $13,135 (about $157,620 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Paw Paw in the state legislature?

State Senate District 37 (Li Arellano) and State House District 74 (Brad Fritts). The House district also covers 82 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Paw Paw’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 →