William S. Delano House · Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0Cooper Township spent less per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar towns
Cooper Township’s town government spent $1.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, about $146 per resident.
What stands out about how Cooper Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$146 per resident in 2022: less than 98% of them
Cooper Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($146 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 68 Michigan towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $543, and the middle half spent $405–$702. Cooper Township spent less than 98% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Michigan towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Cooper Township itself left out).
About $146 per resident a year, or $0.40 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Cooper Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,852 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.20% 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 Cooper 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 Cooper Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cooper Township →
Who’s in charge in Cooper Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 1,603 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 (11,223).
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.
Plainwell Community Schools
Cooper Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Plainwell, Gun Plain Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,495 per pupil, $7,994 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.
Parchment School District · $15,999 per pupil
Otsego Public Schools · $14,214 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Cooper Township voted in 2024
Official results for Cooper Township’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican51.6%3,385 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.6%3,057 votesOthers: 1.7% (113 votes).
Most votes in Cooper Township: Donald J Trump
Kalamazoo County: Harris 58.0%, Trump 40.3% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Cooper Township’s 8,278 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican51.0%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat45.8%Most votes in Cooper Township: Mike Rogers
Kalamazoo County: Slotkin 57.0%, Rogers 39.9% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Bill Huizenga
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Cooper Township, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Township | 51.6% | 46.6% | 1.7% | 6,555 |
| Kalamazoo County | 40.3% | 58.0% | 1.7% | 145,710 |
| 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 Cooper 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 Cooper Township compares with the towns next door
Cooper Township spent $146 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $153 to $468. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Alamo Township | $153 | $2,649 |
| Richland Township | $208 | $3,442 |
| Gun Plain Township | $306 | $2,771 |
| Kalamazoo Township | $468 | $2,847 |
| Cooper Township | $146 | $2,852 |
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 Cooper Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Cooper Township’s government
How much does Cooper Township spend per resident?
About $146 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 $146 was less than 98% of 68 Michigan towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Cooper Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,852 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.20% 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 Cooper Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cooper Township yet.
How did Cooper Township vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 51.6%, Kamala D Harris 46.6% (6,555 votes, official results). Kalamazoo County: Harris 58.0%, Trump 40.3%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Cooper Township?
7 full-time and 33 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $53,114 (about $637,368 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Cooper Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 19 (Sean McCann) and State House District 42 (Matt Hall). The House district also covers 20 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cooper 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 →