Photo: Michael Tomko · CC BY-SA 3.0Dowagiac spent more per resident in 2022 than 82% of similar cities
Dowagiac’s city government spent $15.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $2,793 per resident. Water and other utilities ($191,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Dowagiac is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,793 per resident in 2022: more than 82% of them
Dowagiac’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,793 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 120 Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,656, and the middle half spent $1,295–$2,347. Dowagiac spent more than 82% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.5 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Dowagiac itself left out).
About $2,793 per resident a year, or $7.65 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 16%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Dowagiac reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, down from 41 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $1,348 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.03% 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 Dowagiac’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 Dowagiac’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dowagiac →
Who’s in charge in Dowagiac
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 143 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (5,565).
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.
Dowagiac Union Schools
Dowagiac’s K–12 school district, shared with Silver Creek Township, Wayne Township, Pokagon Township, Keeler Township, LaGrange Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,458 per pupil, $8,464 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 Dowagiac voted in 2024
Official results for Dowagiac’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican51.6%1,142 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat47.4%1,049 votesOthers: 1.1% (24 votes).
Most votes in Dowagiac: Donald J Trump
Cass County: Trump 66.4%, Harris 32.5% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Dowagiac’s 4,228 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican50.3%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat46.0%Most votes in Dowagiac: Mike Rogers
Cass County: Rogers 66.1%, Slotkin 31.3% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Tim Walberg
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Dowagiac, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dowagiac | 51.6% | 47.4% | 1.1% | 2,215 |
| Cass County | 66.4% | 32.5% | 1.1% | 27,871 |
| 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 Dowagiac.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal 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 Dowagiac compares with the towns next door
Dowagiac spent $2,793 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 |
|---|---|---|
| LaGrange Township | $170 | $1,726 |
| Pokagon Township | $249 | $2,264 |
| Silver Creek Township | $438 | $2,608 |
| Wayne Township | estimate | $1,755 |
| Dowagiac | $2,793 | $1,348 |
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 Dowagiac’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Dowagiac’s government
How much does Dowagiac spend per resident?
About $2,793 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,793 was more than 82% of 120 Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Dowagiac?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,348 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.03% 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 Dowagiac’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dowagiac yet.
How did Dowagiac vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 51.6%, Kamala D Harris 47.4% (2,215 votes, official results). Cass County: Trump 66.4%, Harris 32.5%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Dowagiac?
39 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $239,757 (about $2.9M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Dowagiac in the state legislature?
State Senate District 17 (Jonathan Lindsey) and State House District 37 (Brad Paquette). The House district also covers 24 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Dowagiac’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 →