How a special census could net Wheeling more tax dollars
The next U.S. census is still six years away, but Wheeling officials will commission a special count in 2025 to capitalize on a perceived population boom in town.
A little more than 39,100 people reportedly lived in Wheeling during the last census in 2020, up about 1,500 from a decade earlier. Since the 2020 census, however, several multifamily residential developments have opened along a nearly 2-mile stretch of Dundee Road, including the ONE Wheeling Town Center apartment complex and the London Crossing townhouses.
If residency in those developments has increased as projected, Wheeling could receive a greater share of state tax revenues that are population dependent, such as income and cannabis taxes. And officials don’t want to wait until the next decennial census in 2030 — when funding formulas will be readjusted statewide — to find out if they’re due more dough.
“There’s all kinds of money available for all kinds of programs,” Village President Pat Horcher said. “It benefits you and everybody.”
Conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, special censuses can count heads in an entire community or just the people within specific boundaries. Wheeling is going for the latter approach and will focus on the residential neighborhoods and multifamily developments along Dundee Road, roughly between Route 83 and Milwaukee Avenue.
“We know we can capture the growth from the new apartments and townhomes,” Village Manager Jon Sfondilis said.
In addition to the ONE Wheeling Town Center and London Crossing complexes, the target area includes the Union Apartments complex, which started accepting tenants in 2023; the Uptown 500 apartment complex, which opened to tenants in July 2023; and the Landing on Dundee Senior Living facility, which opened in summer 2020.
ONE Wheeling Town Center opened to tenants in April 2020. London Crossing is still under construction, but has had occupied homes for about a year.
Village officials estimate more than 1,650 people now live at those properties.
“All of the included residences are at constant max occupancy,” Sfondilis said. “There is very little for-sale inventory, and the apartments are running at near 95% occupancy, consistently.”
The proposed special census could cost Wheeling between $375,000 and $500,000, Sfondilis said. Funds are included in the municipal budget for the 2025 fiscal year, which starts Jan. 1.
Other parts of Wheeling have experienced residential growth in recent years, too, thanks in part to the Wolf Crossing Townhomes and the Villas at Prairie Park development. But those complexes likely won’t be part of the special census because including them would increase the cost beyond the anticipated tax revenue bump, Sfondilis said.
The special census likely will begin this spring and wrap up in 2026, Sfondilis said.
Wheeling isn’t alone in seeking a new count. Warrenville and Pingree Grove commissioned special censuses in 2024, the first year they were available following the 2020 census. Special censuses will be conducted in Aurora and Volo over the next few months.