Photo: John Menard from Phoenix, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0Chikaming Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar towns
Chikaming Township’s town government spent $6 million on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, about $1,960 per resident.
What stands out about how Chikaming Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,960 per resident in 2022: more than 100% of them
Chikaming Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,960 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 364 Michigan towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $252, and the middle half spent $173–$385. Chikaming Township spent more than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.8 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Chikaming Township itself left out).
About $1,960 per resident a year, or $5.37 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 46%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Chikaming Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,696 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.01% 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 Chikaming 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 Chikaming Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Chikaming Township →
Who’s in charge in Chikaming Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 154 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 (3,075).
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.
River Valley School District
Chikaming Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Galien, Three Oaks Township, Three Oaks, Weesaw Township, Galien Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,915 per pupil, $11,973 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.
New Buffalo Area School District · $36,004 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Chikaming Township voted in 2024
Official results for Chikaming Township’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat58.3%1,290 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican40.5%897 votesOthers: 1.2% (27 votes).
Most votes in Chikaming Township: Kamala D Harris
Berrien County: Trump 53.2%, Harris 45.4% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Chikaming Township’s 2,481 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat55.8%
Mike RogersRepublican42.6%Most votes in Chikaming Township: Elissa Slotkin
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: Chikaming Township, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chikaming Township | 58.3% | 40.5% | 1.2% | 2,214 |
| 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 Chikaming 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 Chikaming Township compares with the towns next door
Chikaming Township spent $1,960 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $253 to $2,336. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Weesaw Township | $253 | $1,473 |
| Three Oaks Township | $371 | $2,114 |
| Lake Township | $1,733 | $2,924 |
| New Buffalo Township | $2,336 | $5,326 |
| Chikaming Township | $1,960 | $3,696 |
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 Chikaming Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Chikaming Township’s government
How much does Chikaming Township spend per resident?
About $1,960 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,960 was more than 100% of 364 Michigan towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Chikaming Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,696 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.01% 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 Chikaming Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Chikaming Township yet.
How did Chikaming Township vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 58.3%, Donald J Trump 40.5% (2,214 votes, official results). Berrien County: Trump 53.2%, Harris 45.4%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Chikaming Township?
20 full-time and 42 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $115,230 (about $1.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Chikaming Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 17 (Jonathan Lindsey) 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 Chikaming 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 →