Photo: Dwight Burdette · CC BY 3.0Dearborn Heights spent less per resident in 2022 than 69% of similar cities
Dearborn Heights’ city government spent $97.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,573 per resident.
What stands out about how Dearborn Heights is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Dearborn Heights’ own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov10City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · 6045 Fenton, City Hall Council ChambersCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · 6045 Fenton, City Hall Council ChambersCity Council Special MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov24City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · 6045 Fenton, City Hall Council ChambersCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec8City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · 6045 Fenton, City Hall Council ChambersCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec8City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · 6045 Fenton, City Hall Council ChambersCity Council Special MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Jan12City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · 6045 Fenton, City Hall Council ChambersCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Oct27City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · 6045 Fenton, City Hall Council ChambersCity Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct27City CouncilTuesday · 5:30 pm · 6045 Fenton, City Hall Council ChambersCity Council Special MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct20City CouncilTuesday · 5:00 pm · 6045 Fenton, City Hall Council ChambersCity Council Special MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct13City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · 6045 Fenton, City Hall Council ChambersCity Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct13City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · 6045 Fenton, City Hall Council ChambersCity Council Special MeetingMeeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,573 per resident a year, or $4.31 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,555 per resident in 2022: less than 69% of them
Dearborn Heights’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,555 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 16 Michigan cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,780, and the middle half spent $1,430–$1,976. Dearborn Heights spent less than 69% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($22.1 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 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Dearborn Heights itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 14% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Dearborn Heights 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: $1,555 · 2023: $1,466 · 2024: $1,573. Per resident it went from $1,555 to $1,573 (up 1%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 55,027 to 61,980.
full-time in March 2025, down from 261 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 $3,036 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.64% 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 Dearborn Heights’ 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 Dearborn Heights’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dearborn Heights →
Who’s in charge in Dearborn Heights
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 268 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 (61,980).
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.
Crestwood School District
Dearborn Heights’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,228 per pupil, $10,047 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.
Dearborn City School District · $18,903 per pupil
Dearborn Heights School District 7 · $15,942 per pupil
Westwood Community Schools · $19,119 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Dearborn Heights voted in 2024
Official results for Dearborn Heights’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican44.5%11,083 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat38.8%9,652 votesOthers: 16.7% (4,159 votes).
Most votes in Dearborn Heights: Donald J Trump
Wayne County: Harris 62.7%, Trump 33.7% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Dearborn Heights’ 42,893 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat42.8%
Mike RogersRepublican41.6%Most votes in Dearborn Heights: Elissa Slotkin
Wayne County: Slotkin 63.4%, Rogers 31.9% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
U.S. House, 2024: 2 districts cover Dearborn Heights, so your street decides which race was yours. All 2 districts’ results →
President, 2024: Dearborn Heights, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dearborn Heights | 44.5% | 38.8% | 16.7% | 24,894 |
| Wayne County | 33.7% | 62.7% | 3.6% | 856,690 |
| 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 Dearborn Heights.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.dearborn-heights.mi.us ↗
- 2Michigan HouseDearborn Heights is split between 2 districts
- 3Michigan SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Michigan
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Dearborn Heights compares with the towns next door
Dearborn Heights spent $1,555 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,518 to $2,910. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Redford Township | $1,518 | $2,569 |
| Allen Park | $1,755 | $3,476 |
| Taylor | $2,005 | $2,596 |
| Dearborn | $2,224 | $3,858 |
| Westland | $2,686 | $2,751 |
| Detroit | $2,910 | $1,402 |
| Inkster | estimate | $1,847 |
| Dearborn Heights | $1,555 | $3,036 |
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 Dearborn Heights’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Dearborn Heights’ government
How much does Dearborn Heights spend per resident?
About $1,573 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 $1,555 was less than 69% of 16 Michigan cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Dearborn Heights?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,036 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.64% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.dearborn-heights.mi.us.
Who runs Dearborn Heights’ government?
See ci.dearborn-heights.mi.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dearborn Heights yet.
How did Dearborn Heights vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 44.5%, Kamala D Harris 38.8% (24,894 votes, official results). Wayne County: Harris 62.7%, Trump 33.7%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Dearborn Heights?
231 full-time and 96 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.9M (about $22.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Dearborn Heights in the state legislature?
Dearborn Heights is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Michigan Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 2 (Sylvia Santana). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Dearborn Heights?
The next posted meeting is City Council on Tuesday, November 10, at 6:00 pm in 6045 Fenton, City Hall Council Chambers, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Dearborn Heights’ 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 →