Virden spent less per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities
Virden’s city government spent $1.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $443 per resident. Water and other utilities ($816,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Virden is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$443 per resident in 2022: less than 94% of them
Virden’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($443 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 $884, and the middle half spent $702–$1,158. Virden spent less than 94% of 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; Virden itself left out).
About $443 per resident a year, or $1.21 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 49%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Virden reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,771 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 Virden’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 Virden’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Virden →
Who’s in charge in Virden
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 206 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 (3,302).
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.
North Mac Community Unit School District 34
Virden’s K–12 school district, shared with Girard, Girard Township, Nilwood, Thayer, Virden Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,084 per pupil, $8,417 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.
Virden’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Virden alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Macoupin County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican68.3%16,065 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat29.3%6,892 votesOthers: 2.4% (568 votes).
Most votes in Macoupin County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
95% of Virden lies in Macoupin County; the rest in Sangamon County. Every 2024 race in Macoupin County is on the county’s page.
Macoupin 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 Virden.
- 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.
How Virden compares with the towns next door
Virden spent $443 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $46. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Virden Township | $46 | $1,833 |
| Auburn Township | estimate | $2,263 |
| Virden | $443 | $1,771 |
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 Virden’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Virden’s government
How much does Virden spend per resident?
About $443 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 $443 was less than 94% of 166 Illinois cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Virden?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,771 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 Virden’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Virden yet.
How did Virden vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Virden alone. Macoupin County, where 95% of Virden lies, voted Trump 68.3%, Harris 29.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Virden?
16 full-time and 17 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $79,597 (about $955,164 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Virden in the state legislature?
State Senate District 54 (Steve McClure) and State House District 108 (Wayne Rosenthal). The House district also covers 105 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Virden’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 →