Bad Axe spent more per resident in 2022 than 95% of similar cities
Bad Axe’s city government spent $11.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $3,828 per resident.
What stands out about how Bad Axe is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$3,828 per resident in 2022: more than 95% of them
Bad Axe’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,828 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 120 Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,656, and the middle half spent $1,295–$2,347. Bad Axe spent more than 95% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.4 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 →
Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bad Axe itself left out).
About $3,828 per resident a year, or $10.49 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Bad Axe reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,834 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.46% of the home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bad Axe’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 Bad Axe’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bad Axe →
Who’s in charge in Bad Axe
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bad Axe’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofbadaxe.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 138 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 (2,889).
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.
Bad Axe Public Schools
Bad Axe’s K–12 school district, shared with Colfax Township, Verona Township, Sheridan Township, Meade Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,534 per pupil, $9,180 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.
Michigan districts overall: 34% local, 57% state, 9% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Bad Axe’s votes are counted by county
Michigan reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bad Axe alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Huron County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican69.7%13,224 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat29.1%5,522 votesOthers: 1.2% (223 votes).
Most votes in Huron County: Donald J Trump
Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
100% of Bad Axe lies in Huron County. Every 2024 race in Huron County is on the county’s page.
Huron County’s 2024 results →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 Bad Axe.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofbadaxe.com ↗
- 2Michigan HouseState representatives
- 3Michigan SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Michigan
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bad Axe compares with the towns next door
Bad Axe spent $3,828 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Verona Township | $339 | $2,361 |
| Colfax Township | $444 | $1,976 |
| Bad Axe | $3,828 | $1,834 |
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 Bad Axe’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bad Axe’s government
How much does Bad Axe spend per resident?
About $3,828 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $3,828 was more than 95% of 120 Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bad Axe?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,834 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.46% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofbadaxe.com.
Who runs Bad Axe’s government?
See cityofbadaxe.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bad Axe yet.
How did Bad Axe vote in 2024?
Michigan counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bad Axe alone. Huron County, where 100% of Bad Axe lies, voted Trump 69.7%, Harris 29.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bad Axe?
21 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $105,426 (about $1.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bad Axe in the state legislature?
State Senate District 25 (Dan Lauwers) and State House District 98 (Greg Alexander). The House district also covers 94 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bad Axe’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 →