Shields Township spent less per resident in 2022 than 70% of similar towns
Shields Township’s town government spent $1.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, about $36 per resident.
What stands out about how Shields Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$36 per resident in 2022: less than 70% of them
Shields Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($36 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 37 Illinois towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $50, and the middle half spent $34–$85. Shields Township spent less than 70% 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 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Shields Township itself left out).
About $36 per resident a year, or $0.10 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 49%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Shields Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Typical bills top $10,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Shields 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.
Tax bills are one input to Shields Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Shields Township →
Who’s in charge in Shields Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 5,207 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 (36,451).
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.
Lake Forest Community High School District 115
Shields Township’s high school district, shared with Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, North Chicago, West Deerfield Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $43,306 per pupil, $26,226 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.
Lake Forest School District 67 · $31,053 per pupil
North Chicago School District 187 · $21,273 per pupil
Lake Bluff Elementary School District 65 · $26,375 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Shields Township voted in 2024
Official results for Shields Township’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat60.3%7,085 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican36.4%4,277 votesOthers: 3.2% (379 votes).
Most votes in Shields Township: Kamala D Harris
Lake County: Harris 58.6%, Trump 38.2% · Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
of Shields Township’s 29,375 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Illinois: 62%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in the district: Brad Schneider
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Shields Township, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shields Township | 60.3% | 36.4% | 3.2% | 11,741 |
| Lake County | 58.6% | 38.2% | 3.2% | 315,148 |
| Illinois | 54.4% | 43.5% | 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 Shields Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Illinois HouseShields Township is split between 2 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 Shields Township compares with the towns next door
Shields Township spent $36 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $43 to $2,627. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| West Deerfield Township | $43 | $10,000+ |
| Moraine Township | $50 | $10,000+ |
| Libertyville Township | $61 | $10,000+ |
| Waukegan Township | $76 | $4,243 |
| Green Oaks | $635 | $10,000+ |
| Lake Forest | $2,627 | $10,000+ |
| Lake Bluff | estimate | $10,000+ |
| North Chicago | estimate | $3,969 |
| Shields Township | $36 | $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 Shields Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Shields Township’s government
How much does Shields Township spend per resident?
About $36 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $36 was less than 70% of 37 Illinois towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Shields Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Shields Township yet.
How did Shields Township vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 60.3%, Donald J Trump 36.4% (11,741 votes, official results). Lake County: Harris 58.6%, Trump 38.2%. Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%.
How many people work for Shields Township?
7 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $45,473 (about $545,676 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Shields Township in the state legislature?
Shields Township is split among 2 State House districts and 2 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 Shields 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 →