McGregor Memorial Conference Center · Photo: Matt Joseph · CC BY-SA 4.0Detroit spent more per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities
Detroit’s city government spent $2.3 billion on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $3,661 per resident. Water and other utilities ($260 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Detroit is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Detroit
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: detroitmi.gov ↗
Detroit’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on detroitmi.gov ↗.
About $3,661 per resident a year, or $10.03 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 16%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$2,910 per resident in 2022: more than 90% of them
Detroit’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,910 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 499 Michigan cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,354, and the middle half spent $946–$1,969. Detroit spent more than 90% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($368.7 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 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Detroit itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 17% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Detroit 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: $2,910 · 2023: $3,183 · 2024: $3,661. Per resident it went from $2,910 to $3,661 (up 26%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 665,369 to 620,376.
full-time in March 2025, up from 9,061 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 $1,402 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.67% 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 Detroit’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 Detroit’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Detroit →
One full-time city employee for every 58 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 (620,376).
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.
Detroit Public Schools Community District
Detroit’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,406 per pupil, $10,514 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 Detroit voted in 2024
Official results for Detroit’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat90.0%221,157 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican8.0%19,638 votesOthers: 2.0% (5,002 votes).
Most votes in Detroit: Kamala D Harris
Wayne County: Harris 62.7%, Trump 33.7% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Detroit’s 458,739 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat88.8%
Mike RogersRepublican7.5%Most votes in Detroit: Elissa Slotkin
Wayne County: Slotkin 63.4%, Rogers 31.9% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
U.S. House, 2024: 2 districts cover Detroit, so your street decides which race was yours. All 2 districts’ results →
President, 2024: Detroit, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | 90.0% | 8.0% | 2.0% | 245,797 |
| Wayne County | 62.7% | 33.7% | 3.6% | 856,690 |
| 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
Detroit sends 12 representatives to the Michigan House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorMary Sheffieldas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Michigan HouseDetroit is split between 12 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 Detroit compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses Michigan cities that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Warren | $1,489 | $3,018 |
| Redford Township | $1,518 | $2,569 |
| Lincoln Park | $1,548 | $2,090 |
| Dearborn Heights | $1,555 | $3,036 |
| Harper Woods | $1,741 | $3,433 |
| Grosse Pointe Woods | $2,016 | $6,220 |
| Melvindale | $2,173 | $1,993 |
| Dearborn | $2,224 | $3,858 |
| Grosse Pointe Park | $2,262 | $8,918 |
| River Rouge | $3,338 | $1,580 |
| Detroit | $2,910 | $1,402 |
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 Detroit’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Detroit’s government
How much does Detroit spend per resident?
About $3,661 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 $2,910 was more than 90% of 499 Michigan cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Detroit?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,402 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.67% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see detroitmi.gov.
Who is the mayor of Detroit?
Mary Sheffield, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on detroitmi.gov.
How did Detroit vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 90.0%, Donald J Trump 8.0% (245,797 votes, official results). Wayne County: Harris 62.7%, Trump 33.7%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Detroit?
10,632 full-time and 92 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $67.2M (about $806.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Detroit in the state legislature?
Detroit is split among 12 State House districts and 8 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Michigan Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Detroit’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 →