Trail Creek spent less per resident in 2022 than 84% of similar cities
Trail Creek’s town government spent $328,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $165 per resident.
What stands out about how Trail Creek is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$165 per resident in 2022: less than 84% of them
Trail Creek’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($165 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 363 Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $586, and the middle half spent $300–$967. Trail Creek spent less than 84% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Trail Creek itself left out).
About $165 per resident a year, or $0.45 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 64%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Trail Creek collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Trail Creek reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,523 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.79% 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 Trail Creek’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 Trail Creek’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Trail Creek →
Who’s in charge in Trail Creek
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Trail Creek’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townoftrailcreek.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 284 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 (1,985).
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.
Michigan City Area Schools
Trail Creek’s K–12 school district, shared with Beverly Shores, Long Beach, Michiana Shores, Michigan City, Michigan Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,467 per pupil, $9,086 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.
How Trail Creek voted in 2024
Official results for Trail Creek’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican51.6%571 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.4%513 votesOthers: 2.0% (22 votes).
Most votes in Trail Creek: Donald J Trump
Indiana: Trump 58.6%, Harris 39.6%
of Trail Creek’s 1,720 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Indiana: 58%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Trail Creek: Jim Banks
Indiana: Banks 58.6%, McCray 38.8%
Most votes in Trail Creek: Jennifer G McCormick
President, 2024: Trail Creek, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trail Creek | 51.6% | 46.4% | 2.0% | 1,106 |
| Indiana | 58.6% | 39.6% | 1.8% | 2,936,677 |
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 Trail Creek.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townoftrailcreek.com ↗
- 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 Trail Creek compares with the towns next door
Trail Creek spent $165 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,100. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan City | $1,100 | $1,192 |
| Trail Creek | $165 | $1,523 |
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 Trail Creek’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Trail Creek’s government
How much does Trail Creek spend per resident?
About $165 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $165 was less than 84% of 363 Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Trail Creek?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,523 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.79% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townoftrailcreek.com.
Who runs Trail Creek’s government?
See townoftrailcreek.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Trail Creek yet.
How did Trail Creek vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 51.6%, Kamala D Harris 46.4% (1,106 votes, official results). . Indiana: Trump 58.6%, Harris 39.6%.
How many people work for Trail Creek?
7 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $48,418 (about $581,016 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Trail Creek in the state legislature?
State Senate District 4 (Rodney Pol) and State House District 9 (Randy Novak). The House district also covers 16 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Trail Creek’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 →