Photo: Pdubs.94 · CC BY 4.0Rock Falls spent more per resident in 2022 than 72% of similar cities
Rock Falls’ city government spent $9.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $1,099 per resident. Water and other utilities ($10.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Rock Falls is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,099 per resident in 2022: more than 72% of them
Rock Falls’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,099 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 $880, and the middle half spent $696–$1,158. Rock Falls spent more than 72% of 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; Rock Falls itself left out).
About $1,099 per resident a year, or $3.01 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 34%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Rock Falls reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 76 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $2,112 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.52% 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 Rock Falls’ 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 Rock Falls’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Rock Falls →
Who’s in charge in Rock Falls
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Rock Falls’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on rockfalls61071.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 111 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (8,648).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Rock Falls Township High School District 301
Rock Falls’ high school district, shared with Coloma Township, Hahnaman Township, Harmon Township, Hume Township, Montmorency Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,141 per pupil, $12,428 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.
Rock Falls Elementary School District 13 · $17,302 per pupil
East Coloma-Nelson Consolidated Elementary School District 20 · $20,268 per pupil
Montmorency Community Consolidated School District 145 · $18,221 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Rock Falls’ votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rock Falls alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Whiteside County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican56.1%14,898 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat41.4%11,012 votesOthers: 2.5% (658 votes).
Most votes in Whiteside County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Rock Falls lies in Whiteside County. Every 2024 race in Whiteside County is on the county’s page.
Whiteside 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 Rock Falls.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: rockfalls61071.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.
How Rock Falls compares with the towns next door
Rock Falls spent $1,099 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Coloma Township | $30 | $2,144 |
| Sterling Township | $83 | $2,664 |
| Sterling | $1,484 | $2,588 |
| Rock Falls | $1,099 | $2,112 |
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 Rock Falls’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Rock Falls’ government
How much does Rock Falls spend per resident?
About $1,099 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 $1,099 was more than 72% of 166 Illinois cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Rock Falls?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,112 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.52% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see rockfalls61071.com.
Who runs Rock Falls’ government?
See rockfalls61071.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Rock Falls yet.
How did Rock Falls vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rock Falls alone. Whiteside County, where 100% of Rock Falls lies, voted Trump 56.1%, Harris 41.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Rock Falls?
78 full-time and 16 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $547,446 (about $6.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Rock Falls 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 Rock Falls’ 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 →