Photo: JDNorry · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Buchanan run?
Buchanan’s city government spent $6.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,451 per resident.
What stands out about how Buchanan is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,451 per resident a year, or $3.98 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,451 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Buchanan’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,451 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 $1,684, and the middle half spent $1,295–$2,384. Buchanan spent less than 62% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.4 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; Buchanan itself left out).
No trend yet
Buchanan reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,128 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.38% 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 Buchanan’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 Buchanan’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Buchanan →
Who’s in charge in Buchanan
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Buchanan’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofbuchanan.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 146 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 (4,222).
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.
Buchanan Community School District
Buchanan’s K–12 school district, shared with Buchanan Township, Bertrand Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,892 per pupil, $8,132 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 Buchanan voted in 2024
Official results for Buchanan’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.8%1,212 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat41.9%910 votesOthers: 2.3% (51 votes).
Most votes in Buchanan: Donald J Trump
Berrien County: Trump 53.2%, Harris 45.4% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Buchanan’s 3,269 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican54.8%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat40.7%Most votes in Buchanan: Mike Rogers
Berrien County: Rogers 53.9%, Slotkin 43.3% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Tim Walberg
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Buchanan, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan | 55.8% | 41.9% | 2.3% | 2,173 |
| Berrien County | 53.2% | 45.4% | 1.4% | 84,488 |
| 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 Buchanan.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofbuchanan.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.
Reach Buchanan’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Buchanan’s government
How much does Buchanan spend per resident?
About $1,451 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 $1,451 was less than 62% of 120 Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Buchanan?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,128 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.38% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofbuchanan.com.
Who runs Buchanan’s government?
See cityofbuchanan.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Buchanan yet.
How did Buchanan vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 55.8%, Kamala D Harris 41.9% (2,173 votes, official results). Berrien County: Trump 53.2%, Harris 45.4%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Buchanan?
29 full-time and 16 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $160,623 (about $1.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Buchanan in the state legislature?
State Senate District 17 (Jonathan Lindsey) and State House District 37 (Brad Paquette). The House district also covers 24 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Buchanan’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 →