Clare Downtown Historic District · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Clare run?
Clare’s city government spent $5.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,804 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Clare didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Clare is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,804 per resident a year, or $4.94 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Clare didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Clare yet
Every year of Clare’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $2,734 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.03% 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 Clare’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 Clare’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Clare →
Who’s in charge in Clare
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 122 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 (3,053).
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.
Clare Public Schools
Clare’s K–12 school district, shared with Sheridan Township, Vernon Township, Grant Township, Wise Township, Arthur Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,884 per pupil, $8,771 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 Clare voted in 2024
Official results for Clare’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican56.5%896 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat41.5%658 votesOthers: 2.1% (33 votes).
Most votes in Clare: Donald J Trump
Clare County: Trump 68.1%, Harris 30.5% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Clare’s 2,625 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican54.7%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat41.9%Most votes in Clare: Mike Rogers
Clare County: Rogers 65.6%, Slotkin 31.1% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: John R Moolenaar
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Clare, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clare | 56.5% | 41.5% | 2.1% | 1,587 |
| Clare County | 68.1% | 30.5% | 1.4% | 17,288 |
| 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 Clare.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Michigan HouseClare is split between 2 districts
- 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 Clare compares with the towns next door
Clare’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 2 of the 2 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $183 to $285 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Vernon Township | $183 | $1,879 |
| Grant Township | $285 | $1,947 |
| Clare | estimate | $2,734 |
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 Clare’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Clare’s government
How much does Clare spend per resident?
About $1,804 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Clare didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $8.9 million.
What is the property tax rate in Clare?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,734 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.03% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Clare’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Clare yet.
How did Clare vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 56.5%, Kamala D Harris 41.5% (1,587 votes, official results). Clare County: Trump 68.1%, Harris 30.5%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Clare?
25 full-time and 42 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $141,878 (about $1.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Clare in the state legislature?
Clare is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Michigan Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 34 (Roger Hauck). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Clare’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 (for Clare, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →