Thornton spent more per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar cities
Thornton’s village government spent $6.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $2,843 per resident. Water and other utilities ($734,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Thornton is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$2,843 per resident in 2022: more than 98% of them
Thornton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,843 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 $501, and the middle half spent $342–$713. Thornton spent more than 98% of 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; Thornton itself left out).
About $2,843 per resident a year, or $7.79 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Thornton reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,130 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.66% 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 Thornton’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 Thornton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Thornton →
Who’s in charge in Thornton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Thornton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on thornton60476.com ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 118 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (2,367).
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.
Thornton Township High School District 205
Thornton’s high school district, shared with Dixmoor, Dolton, East Hazel Crest, Phoenix, Riverdale and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $34,660 per pupil, $17,189 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.
Thornton School District 154 · $17,802 per pupil
Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School District 233 · $27,139 per pupil
Homewood School District 153 · $19,349 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Thornton’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Thornton 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 Thornton 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
Every level of government that speaks for Thornton.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: thornton60476.com ↗
- 2Illinois HouseThornton 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 Thornton compares with the towns next door
Thornton spent $2,843 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $51 to $1,486. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Bloom Township | $51 | $5,005 |
| Thornton Township | $146 | $4,499 |
| Homewood | $1,289 | $5,933 |
| South Holland | $1,486 | $5,903 |
| Glenwood | estimate | $5,843 |
| Thornton | $2,843 | $4,130 |
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 Thornton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Thornton’s government
How much does Thornton spend per resident?
About $2,843 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 $2,843 was more than 98% of 637 Illinois cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Thornton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,130 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.66% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see thornton60476.com.
Who runs Thornton’s government?
See thornton60476.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Thornton yet.
How did Thornton vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Thornton alone. Cook County, where 100% of Thornton lies, voted Harris 68.9%, Trump 27.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Thornton?
20 full-time and 72 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $191,286 (about $2.3M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Thornton in the state legislature?
Thornton is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Illinois Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 15 (Napoleon Harris). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Thornton’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 →