Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Prairie Grove

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Town Hall · Prairie Grove

Prairie Grove spent more per resident in 2022 than 76% of similar cities

Prairie Grove’s village government spent $1.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $716 per resident.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.4M
year to April 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$716
In 2022: $716, more than 76% of 637 similar cities
Long-term debt
$345,000
end of FY2022, reported
Village staff, 2022
5
full-time · 9 part-time · March payroll $39,513
Typical tax bill
$10,000+
a year

What stands out about how Prairie Grove is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$716 per resident in 2022: more than 76% of them

Prairie Grove’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($716 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 Grove spent more than 76% of them.

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

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; Prairie Grove itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $716 per resident a year, or $1.96 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 28%.

Where the money comes from
From the state 54%Property taxes 20%From the federal government 10%Interest, fines & other 8%Sales taxes 4%Other taxes & licenses 2%Fees & charges 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $113,000; interest on debt $13,000. With these, the whole budget was $1.5 million.
About “Other”.28% of Prairie Grove’s day-to-day spending ($390,000) 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

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

Property tax

Typical bills top $10,000 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Prairie Grove$10,000+
Crystal Lake$7,720
McHenry$6,456
Illinois$5,298
$10,000+
typical bill a year
$467,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Prairie Grove

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

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

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

Who works for Prairie Grove

One full-time village employee for every 384 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 (1,920).

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

Police2 + 9 pt
Roads & transportation3
5
full-time
9
part-time
$39,513
payroll for March 2022
$474,156
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$69,800
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
2
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Prairie Grove had 2.6 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: Prairie Grove had more than 55% 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

Community High School District 155

Prairie Grove’s high school district, shared with Algonquin Township, Cary, Crystal Lake, Cuba Township, Dorr Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Prairie Grove →
$25,105
per pupil · IL $21,567
5,340
students
$11.6 million
long-term debt

Of the $25,105 per pupil, $15,574 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 63%State 34%Federal 3%

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

Also serving Prairie Grove

Prairie Grove Community School District 46 · $19,741 per pupil

Crystal Lake Community Consolidated School District 47 · $17,506 per pupil

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Prairie Grove’s votes are counted by county

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

President · McHenry County’s results163,666 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican51.3%83,933 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat46.1%75,370 votes

Others: 2.7% (4,363 votes).

Most votes in McHenry County: Donald J Trump

Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%

The county’s page

100% of Prairie Grove lies in McHenry County. Every 2024 race in McHenry County is on the county’s page.

McHenry 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 Prairie Grove

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Prairie Grove.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  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 Prairie Grove compares with the towns next door

Prairie Grove spent $716 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,020 to $1,273. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
McHenry$1,020$6,456
Crystal Lake$1,273$7,720
Prairie Grove$716$10,000+

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 Prairie Grove’s government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Prairie Grove’s government

How much does Prairie Grove spend per resident?

About $716 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 $716 was more than 76% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

Who runs Prairie Grove’s government?

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

How did Prairie Grove vote in 2024?

Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Prairie Grove alone. McHenry County, where 100% of Prairie Grove lies, voted Trump 51.3%, Harris 46.1% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Prairie Grove?

5 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $39,513 (about $474,156 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Prairie Grove in the state legislature?

State Senate District 32 (Craig Wilcox) and State House District 63 (Steve Reick). The House district also covers 21 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Prairie Grove’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 →