Photo: User:Visviva · CC BY-SA 4.0Prairie Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar towns
Prairie Township’s town government spent $146,000 on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, about $418 per resident.
What stands out about how Prairie Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$418 per resident in 2022: more than 77% of them
Prairie Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($418 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 860 Illinois towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $264, and the middle half spent $165–$396. Prairie Township spent more than 77% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Illinois towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Prairie Township itself left out).
About $418 per resident a year, or $1.15 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 40%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Prairie Township collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Prairie Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,906 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.57% 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 Township’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 Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Prairie Township →
Who’s in charge in Prairie Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 349 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 (349).
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.
Illini West High School District 307
Prairie Township’s high school district, shared with Appanoose Township, Bear Creek Township, Bentley, Blandinsville Township, Carthage and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,108 per pupil, $8,512 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.
Carthage Elementary School District 317 · $12,730 per pupil
Hamilton Community Consolidated School District 328 · $13,338 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Prairie Township voted in 2024
Official results for Prairie Township’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican80.4%172 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat18.2%39 votesOthers: 1.4% (3 votes).
Most votes in Prairie Township: Donald J Trump
Hancock County: Trump 73.6%, Harris 24.0% · Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
Most votes in the district: Mary E Miller
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Prairie Township, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Township | 80.4% | 18.2% | 1.4% | 214 |
| Hancock County | 73.6% | 24.0% | 2.4% | 9,113 |
| Illinois | 43.5% | 54.4% | 2.2% | 5,633,310 |
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 Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal 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.
How Prairie Township compares with the towns next door
Prairie Township spent $418 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $52 to $1,463. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Montebello Township | $52 | $2,489 |
| Bear Creek Township | $516 | $1,292 |
| Pilot Grove Township | $1,463 | $1,421 |
| Carthage Township | estimate | $2,191 |
| Rock Creek Township | estimate | $1,132 |
| Prairie Township | $418 | $1,906 |
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 Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Prairie Township’s government
How much does Prairie Township spend per resident?
About $418 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $418 was more than 77% of 860 Illinois towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Prairie Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,906 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.57% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Prairie Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Prairie Township yet.
How did Prairie Township vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 80.4%, Kamala D Harris 18.2% (214 votes, official results). Hancock County: Trump 73.6%, Harris 24.0%. Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%.
How many people work for Prairie Township?
1 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $4,785 (about $57,420 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Prairie Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 47 (Neil Anderson) and State House District 94 (Norine Hammond). The House district also covers 203 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Prairie Township’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 →