How is South Wilmington run?
South Wilmington’s village government spent $293,000 on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $460 per resident. Water and other utilities ($232,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how South Wilmington is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
About $460 per resident a year, or $1.26 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 50%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$460 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
South Wilmington’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($460 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 $503, and the middle half spent $342–$713. South Wilmington spent less than 58% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($78,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; South Wilmington itself left out).
No trend yet
South Wilmington reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,557 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.04% 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 South Wilmington’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 South Wilmington’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in South Wilmington →
Who’s in charge in South Wilmington
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Gardner-South Wilmington Township High School District
South Wilmington’s high school district, shared with Braceville Township, Braceville, East Brooklyn, Essex Township, Gardner and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $30,824 per pupil, $15,648 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.
South Wilmington Consolidated School District 74 · $16,047 per pupil
Gardner Community Consolidated School District 72C · $19,090 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
South Wilmington’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for South Wilmington alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Grundy County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican63.6%16,997 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat34.2%9,143 votesOthers: 2.2% (578 votes).
Most votes in Grundy County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of South Wilmington lies in Grundy County. Every 2024 race in Grundy County is on the county’s page.
Grundy 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 South Wilmington.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal 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.
Reach South Wilmington’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about South Wilmington’s government
How much does South Wilmington spend per resident?
About $460 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 $460 was less than 58% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in South Wilmington?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,557 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.04% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.
Who runs South Wilmington’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for South Wilmington yet.
How did South Wilmington vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for South Wilmington alone. Grundy County, where 100% of South Wilmington lies, voted Trump 63.6%, Harris 34.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for South Wilmington?
0 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $10,123 (about $121,476 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents South Wilmington in the state legislature?
State Senate District 40 (Patrick Joyce) and State House District 79 (Jackie Haas). The House district also covers 46 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about South Wilmington’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 →