Photo: Nyttend · Public domainSparta spent more per resident in 2022 than 91% of similar cities
Sparta’s city government spent $6.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, about $1,589 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Sparta is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,589 per resident in 2022: more than 91% of them
Sparta’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,589 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–$1,154. Sparta spent more than 91% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($442,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Sparta itself left out).
About $1,589 per resident a year, or $4.35 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Sparta reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,942 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.75% 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 Sparta’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 Sparta’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Sparta →
Who’s in charge in Sparta
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 120 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 (4,202).
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.
Sparta Community Unit School District 140
Sparta’s K–12 school district, shared with Evansville, Tilden. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,879 per pupil, $8,564 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Sparta voted in 2024
Official results for Sparta’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican65.6%1,518 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.1%742 votesOthers: 2.3% (54 votes).
Most votes in Sparta: Donald J Trump
Randolph County: Trump 73.9%, Harris 24.1% · Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
of Sparta’s 3,133 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: Mike Bost
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Sparta, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparta | 65.6% | 32.1% | 2.3% | 2,314 |
| Randolph County | 73.9% | 24.1% | 2.0% | 14,374 |
| 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 Sparta.
- 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 Sparta’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Sparta’s government
How much does Sparta spend per resident?
About $1,589 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 $1,589 was more than 91% of 166 Illinois cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Sparta?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,942 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.75% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Sparta’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Sparta yet.
How did Sparta vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 65.6%, Kamala D Harris 32.1% (2,314 votes, official results). Randolph County: Trump 73.9%, Harris 24.1%. Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%.
How many people work for Sparta?
35 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $185,909 (about $2.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Sparta in the state legislature?
State Senate District 58 (Terri Bryant) and State House District 115 (David Friess). The House district also covers 54 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Sparta’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 →