Photo: F. D. Richards · CC BY-SA 2.0Coldwater spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Coldwater’s city government spent $69.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $5,228 per resident.
What stands out about how Coldwater is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$5,306 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them
Coldwater’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($5,306 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 44 Michigan cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,874, and the middle half spent $1,414–$2,447. Coldwater spent more than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($5.7 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Coldwater itself left out).
About $5,228 per resident a year, or $14.32 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 10%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 8% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Coldwater 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: $5,306 · 2023: $4,914 · 2024: $5,228. Per resident it went from $5,306 to $5,228 (down 1%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 12,090 to 13,296.
full-time in March 2025, up from 134 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,926 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.40% 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 Coldwater’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 Coldwater’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Coldwater →
Who’s in charge in Coldwater
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Coldwater’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on coldwater.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 95 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (13,296).
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.
Coldwater Community Schools
Coldwater’s K–12 school district, shared with Kinderhook Township, Ovid Township, Coldwater Township, Girard Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,312 per pupil, $7,867 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 Coldwater voted in 2024
Official results for Coldwater’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican61.3%2,879 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat36.2%1,703 votesOthers: 2.5% (118 votes).
Most votes in Coldwater: Donald J Trump
Branch County: Trump 70.4%, Harris 28.0% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Coldwater’s 10,144 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican58.8%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat36.8%Most votes in Coldwater: Mike Rogers
Branch County: Rogers 68.2%, Slotkin 28.5% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Tim Walberg
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Coldwater, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coldwater | 61.3% | 36.2% | 2.5% | 4,700 |
| Branch County | 70.4% | 28.0% | 1.6% | 21,089 |
| 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 Coldwater.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: coldwater.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.
How Coldwater compares with the towns next door
Coldwater spent $5,306 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Girard Township | $154 | $2,550 |
| Coldwater Township | $252 | $1,639 |
| Coldwater | $5,306 | $1,926 |
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 Coldwater’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Coldwater’s government
How much does Coldwater spend per resident?
About $5,228 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $5,306 was more than 96% of 44 Michigan cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Coldwater?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,926 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.40% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see coldwater.org.
Who runs Coldwater’s government?
See coldwater.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Coldwater yet.
How did Coldwater vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 61.3%, Kamala D Harris 36.2% (4,700 votes, official results). Branch County: Trump 70.4%, Harris 28.0%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Coldwater?
140 full-time and 37 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $898,086 (about $10.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Coldwater in the state legislature?
State Senate District 17 (Jonathan Lindsey) and State House District 35 (Jennifer Wortz). The House district also covers 48 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Coldwater’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 →