How is Prairie City run?
Prairie City’s city government spent $177,000 on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $515 per resident. Water and other utilities ($75,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Prairie City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $515 per resident a year, or $1.41 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 49%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$515 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Prairie City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($515 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. Prairie City spent more than 51% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($49,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Prairie City itself left out).
No trend yet
Prairie City reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $855 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.93% 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 Prairie City’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 Prairie City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Prairie City →
Who’s in charge in Prairie City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bushnell-Prairie City Community Unit School District 170
Prairie City’s K–12 school district, shared with Bushnell, Bushnell Township, Prairie City Township, Lee Township, Mound Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,491 per pupil, $10,712 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.
Prairie City’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Prairie City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are McDonough County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican57.9%6,987 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat39.3%4,736 votesOthers: 2.8% (334 votes).
Most votes in McDonough County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Prairie City lies in McDonough County. Every 2024 race in McDonough County is on the county’s page.
McDonough 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 Prairie City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Prairie City’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Prairie City’s government
How much does Prairie City spend per resident?
About $515 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 $515 was more than 51% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Prairie City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $855 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.93% 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 Prairie City’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Prairie City yet.
How did Prairie City vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Prairie City alone. McDonough County, where 100% of Prairie City lies, voted Trump 57.9%, Harris 39.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Prairie City?
0 full-time and 17 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2,661 (about $31,932 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Prairie City in the state legislature?
State Senate District 36 (Mike Halpin) and State House District 71 (Dan Swanson). The House district also covers 64 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Prairie City’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 →