Photo: Soueric · CC BY-SA 4.0Wilmette spent more per resident in 2022 than 84% of similar cities
Wilmette’s village government spent $55.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,037 per resident.
What stands out about how Wilmette is run
Read from the village’s budget, meetings and official records.
$1,829 per resident in 2022: more than 84% of them
Wilmette’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,829 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 44 Illinois cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,143, and the middle half spent $937–$1,489. Wilmette spent more than 84% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Illinois cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Wilmette itself left out).
About $2,037 per resident a year, or $5.58 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 13% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Wilmette reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,829 · 2023: $1,961 · 2024: $2,037.
full-time in March 2025, up from 189 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
Typical bills top $10,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Wilmette’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 Wilmette’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wilmette →
Recent meetings
From Wilmette’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
No upcoming meetings are posted yet.
Recent meetings
- Jun25Environmental and Energy CommissionThursday · 6:30 pm · 1200 Wilmette Avenue, Committee Meeting RoomMeeting page ↗
- Jun17Zoning Board of AppealsWednesday · 7:00 pm · 1200 WILMETTE AVENUEMeeting page ↗
- Jun9Village Board of TrusteesTuesday · 7:00 pm · 1200 Wilmette AveVillage Board of Trustees MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Jun3Zoning Board of AppealsWednesday · 7:00 pm · 1200 WILMETTE AVENUEMeeting page ↗
- Jun2Appearance Review CommissionTuesday · 7:00 pm · 1200 Wilmette Ave, Second Floor Training RoomPlan CommissionMeeting page ↗
- Jun1Appearance Review CommissionMonday · 7:00 pm · 1200 Wilmette Ave, Second Floor Training RoomMeeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗Who’s in charge in Wilmette
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time village employee for every 137 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (27,264).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
New Trier Township High School District 203
Wilmette’s high school district, shared with Glencoe, Kenilworth, New Trier Township, Winnetka, Northfield. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $38,898 per pupil, $22,667 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.
Wilmette School District 39 · $25,998 per pupil
Avoca School District 37 · $35,150 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Wilmette’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Wilmette 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 Wilmette 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 Wilmette.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: wilmette.com ↗
- 2Illinois HouseWilmette is split between 3 districts
- 3Illinois SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Illinois
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Wilmette compares with the towns next door
Wilmette spent $1,829 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $34 to $2,224. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Niles Township | $34 | $8,027 |
| New Trier Township | $58 | $10,000+ |
| Evanston | $1,962 | $8,863 |
| Kenilworth | $1,983 | $10,000+ |
| Northfield | $2,118 | $10,000+ |
| Glenview | $2,224 | $10,000+ |
| Skokie | estimate | $8,048 |
| Wilmette | $1,829 | $10,000+ |
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 Wilmette’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Wilmette’s government
How much does Wilmette spend per resident?
About $2,037 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,829 was more than 84% of 44 Illinois cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Wilmette’s government?
See wilmette.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wilmette yet.
How did Wilmette vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Wilmette alone. Cook County, where 100% of Wilmette lies, voted Harris 68.9%, Trump 27.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Wilmette?
199 full-time and 34 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.1M (about $25.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Wilmette in the state legislature?
Wilmette is split among 3 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Illinois Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Wilmette’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 →