Photo: author: Joseph E. Lobocki · CC BY 2.0Rolling Meadows spent more per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities
Rolling Meadows’ city government spent $42.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,817 per resident. Water and other utilities ($5.7 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Rolling Meadows is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,817 per resident in 2022: more than 89% of them
Rolling Meadows’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,817 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 97 Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,094, and the middle half spent $794–$1,484. Rolling Meadows spent more than 89% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($792,000), 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Rolling Meadows itself left out).
About $1,817 per resident a year, or $4.98 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Rolling Meadows reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 184 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $6,636 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.03% 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 Rolling Meadows’ 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 Rolling Meadows’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Rolling Meadows →
Who’s in charge in Rolling Meadows
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Rolling Meadows’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityrm.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 118 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 (23,246).
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.
Palatine Community Consolidated School District 15
Rolling Meadows’ elementary school district, shared with Palatine, Palatine Township, Inverness. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,542 per pupil, $12,268 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.
Township High School District 214 · $27,472 per pupil
Township High School District 211 · $27,540 per pupil
Community Consolidated School District 59 · $25,082 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Rolling Meadows’ votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rolling Meadows alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Cook County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat68.9%1,447,821 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican27.8%583,852 votesOthers: 3.3% (70,005 votes).
Most votes in Cook County: Kamala D Harris
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Rolling Meadows lies in Cook County. Every 2024 race in Cook County is on the county’s page.
Cook 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
Rolling Meadows sends 4 representatives to the Illinois House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityrm.org ↗
- 2Illinois HouseRolling Meadows is split between 4 districts
- 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 Rolling Meadows compares with the towns next door
Rolling Meadows spent $1,817 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $19 to $1,914. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Wheeling Township | $19 | $8,190 |
| Palatine Township | $39 | $8,612 |
| Palatine | $1,038 | $8,025 |
| Arlington Heights | $1,062 | $8,759 |
| Schaumburg | $1,914 | $6,617 |
| Rolling Meadows | $1,817 | $6,636 |
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 Rolling Meadows’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Rolling Meadows’ government
How much does Rolling Meadows spend per resident?
About $1,817 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,817 was more than 89% of 97 Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Rolling Meadows?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,636 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.03% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityrm.org.
Who runs Rolling Meadows’ government?
See cityrm.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Rolling Meadows yet.
How did Rolling Meadows vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rolling Meadows alone. Cook County, where 100% of Rolling Meadows lies, voted Harris 68.9%, Trump 27.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Rolling Meadows?
197 full-time and 54 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.0M (about $24.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Rolling Meadows in the state legislature?
Rolling Meadows is split among 4 State House districts and 3 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Illinois Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Rolling Meadows’ 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 →