Photo: GKChest · CC BY-SA 3.0Chesterton spent more per resident in 2022 than 66% of similar cities
Chesterton’s town government spent $18.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,298 per resident.
What stands out about how Chesterton is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,264 per resident in 2022: more than 66% of them
Chesterton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,264 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 35 Indiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,179, and the middle half spent $976–$1,616. Chesterton spent more than 66% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.5 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Indiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Chesterton itself left out).
About $1,298 per resident a year, or $3.56 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 5% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Chesterton 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: $1,264 · 2023: $1,177 · 2024: $1,298.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,528 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.84% of the home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Chesterton’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 Chesterton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Chesterton →
Who’s in charge in Chesterton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Chesterton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on chestertonin.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 153 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 2024 finance file (14,554).
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.
Duneland School Corporation
Chesterton’s K–12 school district, shared with Burns Harbor, Dune Acres, Jackson Township, Liberty Township, Porter and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,969 per pupil, $7,361 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.
Indiana districts overall: 33% local, 56% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Chesterton.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: chestertonin.org ↗
- 2Indiana HouseChesterton is split between 2 districts
- 3Indiana SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Indiana
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Chesterton compares with the towns next door
Chesterton spent $1,264 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $5 to $2,114. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Westchester Township | $5 | $2,333 |
| Liberty Township | $30 | $2,509 |
| Porter | $1,238 | $2,322 |
| Portage | $1,470 | $1,850 |
| Burns Harbor | $2,114 | $1,982 |
| Chesterton | $1,264 | $2,528 |
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 Chesterton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Chesterton’s government
How much does Chesterton spend per resident?
About $1,298 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 $1,264 was more than 66% of 35 Indiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Chesterton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,528 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.84% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see chestertonin.org.
Who runs Chesterton’s government?
See chestertonin.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Chesterton yet.
How many people work for Chesterton?
95 full-time and 20 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $486,948 (about $5.8M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Chesterton in the state legislature?
Chesterton is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Indiana Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 4 (Rodney Pol). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Chesterton’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 →