Photo: Dual Freq · CC BY 2.5Paxton spent less per resident in 2022 than 69% of similar cities
Paxton’s city government spent $3 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $734 per resident. Water and other utilities ($392,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Paxton is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$734 per resident in 2022: less than 69% of them
Paxton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($734 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 $884, and the middle half spent $696–$1,158. Paxton spent less than 69% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($529,000), 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; Paxton itself left out).
About $734 per resident a year, or $2.01 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Paxton reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,842 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.36% 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 Paxton’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 Paxton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Paxton →
Who’s in charge in Paxton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Paxton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on paxtonil.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 206 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 (4,117).
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.
Paxton-Buckley-Loda Community Unit School District 10
Paxton’s K–12 school district, shared with Buckley, Loda, Roberts, Loda Township, Button Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,055 per pupil, $9,845 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.
Paxton’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Paxton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Ford County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican72.6%4,778 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat25.0%1,643 votesOthers: 2.4% (160 votes).
Most votes in Ford County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Paxton lies in Ford County. Every 2024 race in Ford County is on the county’s page.
Ford 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 Paxton.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: paxtonil.com ↗
- 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.
Reach Paxton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Paxton’s government
How much does Paxton spend per resident?
About $734 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 $734 was less than 69% of 166 Illinois cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Paxton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,842 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.36% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see paxtonil.com.
Who runs Paxton’s government?
See paxtonil.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Paxton yet.
How did Paxton vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Paxton alone. Ford County, where 100% of Paxton lies, voted Trump 72.6%, Harris 25.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Paxton?
20 full-time and 24 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $112,195 (about $1.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Paxton in the state legislature?
State Senate District 53 (Chris Balkema) and State House District 106 (Jason Bunting). The House district also covers 144 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Paxton’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 →