#DoTheMath · City of Joliet, IL

Does Joliet own more than it owes?

A plain-English look at the city's finances, built entirely from its own audited annual reports (2011–2024).

By the numbers, Joliet owes about $1.24 billion more than it owns, driven by pension and retiree-health promises and debt. Here's the story, three ways:

The explainer

Does Joliet own more than it owes?

The full kitchen-table walkthrough: how the −$1.24B is built, what's in it, and the repair bill the books leave out.

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The deep dive

Joliet's Fiscal Health: Decoded

Seven indicators over fourteen years, charted with the Strong Towns Finance Decoder method. Where the math is weak, and the one line that only looks steady.

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The 30-second version

One number, with a toggle

Just the headline: how much more Joliet owes than it owns, and what happens when you add the repair bill the books leave out.

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