How is New Chicago run?
New Chicago’s town government spent $0 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $0 per resident.
What stands out about how New Chicago is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
River Forest Community School Corporation
New Chicago’s K–12 school district, shared with Lake Station. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,634 per pupil, $5,802 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.
Hobart School City · $11,969 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
No comparison or trend for New Chicago yet
The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample), and New Chicago’s 2022 operating figures are mostly a Census estimate, so they aren’t compared. It reported 2022 only, so there is no trend yet either. The next full count is 2027.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $1,722 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.28% 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 New Chicago’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to New Chicago’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in New Chicago →
Who’s in charge in New Chicago
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 176 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 (1,937).
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.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for New Chicago.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Indiana HouseState representatives
- 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 New Chicago compares with the towns next door
New Chicago’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate, so it isn’t placed among them. Neighbors that reported 2022 spent $662 to $1,154 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Station | $662 | $1,399 |
| Hobart | $1,154 | $2,279 |
| New Chicago | estimate | $1,722 |
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 New Chicago’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about New Chicago’s government
How much does New Chicago spend per resident?
About $0 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau.
What is the property tax rate in New Chicago?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,722 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.28% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs New Chicago’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for New Chicago yet.
How many people work for New Chicago?
11 full-time and 14 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $69,188 (about $830,256 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents New Chicago in the state legislature?
State Senate District 3 (Mark Spencer) and State House District 3 (Ragen Hatcher). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about New Chicago’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 →