Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0Bessemer spent more per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar cities
Bessemer’s city government spent $4.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $2,487 per resident.
What stands out about how Bessemer is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,487 per resident in 2022: more than 88% of them
Bessemer’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,487 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,078, and the middle half spent $748–$1,622. Bessemer spent more than 88% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.5 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 cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bessemer itself left out).
About $2,487 per resident a year, or $6.81 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 35%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Bessemer reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,457 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.08% 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 Bessemer’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 Bessemer’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bessemer →
Who’s in charge in Bessemer
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bessemer’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofbessemer.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 99 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 (1,687).
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.
Bessemer Area School District
Bessemer’s K–12 school district, shared with Bessemer Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,810 per pupil, $8,875 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.
How Bessemer voted in 2024
Official results for Bessemer’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican54.1%553 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat44.8%458 votesOthers: 1.1% (11 votes).
Most votes in Bessemer: Donald J Trump
Gogebic County: Trump 57.9%, Harris 40.8% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Bessemer’s 1,476 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican50.7%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat45.7%Most votes in Bessemer: Mike Rogers
Gogebic County: Rogers 56.3%, Slotkin 40.4% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Jack Bergman
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Bessemer, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bessemer | 54.1% | 44.8% | 1.1% | 1,022 |
| Gogebic County | 57.9% | 40.8% | 1.3% | 8,295 |
| Michigan | 49.7% | 48.3% | 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 Bessemer.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofbessemer.org ↗
- 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.
Reach Bessemer’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bessemer’s government
How much does Bessemer spend per resident?
About $2,487 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 $2,487 was more than 88% of 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bessemer?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,457 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.08% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofbessemer.org.
Who runs Bessemer’s government?
See cityofbessemer.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bessemer yet.
How did Bessemer vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 54.1%, Kamala D Harris 44.8% (1,022 votes, official results). Gogebic County: Trump 57.9%, Harris 40.8%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Bessemer?
17 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $103,691 (about $1.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bessemer in the state legislature?
State Senate District 38 (Ed McBroom) and State House District 110 (Greg Markkanen). The House district also covers 63 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bessemer’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 →