Mary's City of David · Photo: FotoGuy 49057 · CC BY 2.0Benton Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar towns
Benton Township’s town government spent $15.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,073 per resident.
What stands out about how Benton Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$981 per resident in 2022: more than 93% of them
Benton Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($981 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 68 Michigan towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $541, and the middle half spent $325–$696. Benton Township spent more than 93% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($5 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 towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Benton Township itself left out).
About $1,073 per resident a year, or $2.94 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 37%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 9% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Benton Township reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $981 · 2023: $1,073.
full-time in March 2025, up from 74 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,937 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.30% 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 Benton Township’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 Benton Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Benton Township →
Who’s in charge in Benton Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 187 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (14,192).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Benton Harbor Area Schools
Benton Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Benton Harbor, Sodus Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $25,288 per pupil, $10,943 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.
Coloma Community Schools · $15,528 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Benton Township voted in 2024
Official results for Benton Township’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat63.9%4,009 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican34.7%2,174 votesOthers: 1.4% (88 votes).
Most votes in Benton Township: Kamala D Harris
Berrien County: Trump 53.2%, Harris 45.4% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Benton Township’s 10,059 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat62.2%
Mike RogersRepublican34.3%Most votes in Benton Township: Elissa Slotkin
Berrien County: Rogers 53.9%, Slotkin 43.3% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Bill Huizenga
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Benton Township, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Township | 63.9% | 34.7% | 1.4% | 6,271 |
| Berrien County | 45.4% | 53.2% | 1.4% | 84,488 |
| Michigan | 48.3% | 49.7% | 2.0% | 5,664,186 |
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; Elissa Slotkin: U.S. House portrait (congress-legislators project); Mike Rogers: U.S. House portrait (congress-legislators project). 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 Benton Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Benton Township compares with the towns next door
Benton Township spent $981 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $152 to $2,351. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Bainbridge Township | $152 | $1,983 |
| Hagar Township | $275 | $1,808 |
| Sodus Township | $320 | $2,152 |
| Royalton Township | $551 | $3,581 |
| Benton Harbor | $2,351 | $911 |
| Benton Township | $981 | $1,937 |
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 Benton Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Benton Township’s government
How much does Benton Township spend per resident?
About $1,073 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $981 was more than 93% of 68 Michigan towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Benton Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,937 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.30% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Benton Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Benton Township yet.
How did Benton Township vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 63.9%, Donald J Trump 34.7% (6,271 votes, official results). Berrien County: Trump 53.2%, Harris 45.4%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Benton Township?
76 full-time and 24 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $581,120 (about $7.0M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Benton Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 20 (Aric Nesbitt) and State House District 38 (Joey Andrews). The House district also covers 22 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Benton Township’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 →