Photo: Paul Sableman · CC BY 2.0Wood River Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 81% of similar towns
Wood River Township’s town government spent $2.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, about $87 per resident.
What stands out about how Wood River Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$87 per resident in 2022: more than 81% of them
Wood River Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($87 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 37 Illinois towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $50, and the middle half spent $34–$77. Wood River Township spent more than 81% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($161,000), 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 towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Wood River Township itself left out).
About $87 per resident a year, or $0.24 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 50%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Wood River Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, down from 22 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $2,143 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.83% 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 Wood River Township’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 Wood River Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wood River Township →
Who’s in charge in Wood River Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Wood River Township’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on woodriver.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 1,503 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (30,064).
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.
East Alton-Wood River Community High School District 14
Wood River Township’s high school district, shared with Alton, Alton Township, Chouteau Township, East Alton, Edwardsville and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,317 per pupil, $9,477 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.
Roxana Community Unit School District 1 · $21,111 per pupil
Bethalto Consolidated Unit School District 8 · $16,148 per pupil
East Alton School District 13 · $20,263 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Wood River Township voted in 2024
Official results for Wood River Township’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican61.5%8,196 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat36.2%4,827 votesOthers: 2.2% (298 votes).
Most votes in Wood River Township: Donald J Trump
Madison County: Trump 55.1%, Harris 42.0% · Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
of Wood River Township’s 23,564 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: Nikki Budzinski
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Wood River Township, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood River Township | 61.5% | 36.2% | 2.2% | 13,321 |
| Madison County | 55.1% | 42.0% | 2.8% | 134,056 |
| 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 Wood River Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: woodriver.org ↗
- 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 Wood River Township compares with the towns next door
Wood River Township spent $87 per resident in 2022; the 7 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $46 to $4,462. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Alton Township | $46 | $1,900 |
| Fort Russell Township | $84 | $4,562 |
| Chouteau Township | $120 | $1,606 |
| Foster Township | $163 | $5,237 |
| Bethalto | $777 | $3,099 |
| East Alton | $1,075 | $2,323 |
| Roxana | $4,462 | $1,512 |
| Alton | estimate | $1,900 |
| Wood River Township | $87 | $2,143 |
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 Wood River Township’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Wood River Township’s government
How much does Wood River Township spend per resident?
About $87 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 $87 was more than 81% of 37 Illinois towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Wood River Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,143 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.83% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see woodriver.org.
Who runs Wood River Township’s government?
See woodriver.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wood River Township yet.
How did Wood River Township vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 61.5%, Kamala D Harris 36.2% (13,321 votes, official results). Madison County: Trump 55.1%, Harris 42.0%. Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%.
How many people work for Wood River Township?
20 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $104,940 (about $1.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Wood River Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 56 (Erica Harriss) and State House District 111 (Amy Elik). The House district also covers 23 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Wood River Township’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 →