Photo: Nyttend · Public domainWaterloo spent less per resident in 2022 than 70% of similar cities
Waterloo’s city government spent $8.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $824 per resident. Water and other utilities ($16.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Waterloo is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$824 per resident in 2022: less than 70% of them
Waterloo’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($824 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 97 Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,105, and the middle half spent $794–$1,485. Waterloo spent less than 70% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($864,000), 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Waterloo itself left out).
About $824 per resident a year, or $2.26 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 40%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Waterloo reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,198 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.68% 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 Waterloo’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 Waterloo’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Waterloo →
Who’s in charge in Waterloo
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Waterloo’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on waterloo.il.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 179 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 (10,536).
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.
Waterloo Community Unit School District 5
Waterloo’s K–12 school district, shared with Hecker. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,843 per pupil, $8,574 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.
Waterloo’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Waterloo alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Monroe County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican66.8%14,055 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat30.8%6,473 votesOthers: 2.4% (499 votes).
Most votes in Monroe County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Waterloo lies in Monroe County. Every 2024 race in Monroe County is on the county’s page.
Monroe 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 Waterloo.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: waterloo.il.us ↗
- 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 Waterloo’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Waterloo’s government
How much does Waterloo spend per resident?
About $824 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 $824 was less than 70% of 97 Illinois cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Waterloo?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,198 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.68% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see waterloo.il.us.
Who runs Waterloo’s government?
See waterloo.il.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Waterloo yet.
How did Waterloo vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Waterloo alone. Monroe County, where 100% of Waterloo lies, voted Trump 66.8%, Harris 30.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Waterloo?
59 full-time and 37 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $449,291 (about $5.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Waterloo 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 Waterloo’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 →