Photo: WeaponizingArchitecture · CC BY-SA 4.0How is East Lansing run?
East Lansing’s city government spent $96.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,045 per resident. Water and other utilities ($4.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how East Lansing is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for East Lansing.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofeastlansing.com ↗
- 2Michigan HouseEast Lansing is split between 2 districts
- 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.
About $2,045 per resident a year, or $5.60 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 16%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,702 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
East Lansing’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,702 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Michigan cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,614, and the middle half spent $1,446–$2,015. East Lansing spent more than 61% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($8.3 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 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; East Lansing itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 19% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years East Lansing 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: $1,702 · 2023: $1,994 · 2024: $2,045.
full-time in March 2025, up from 300 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $5,599 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.07% 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 East Lansing’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 East Lansing’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in East Lansing →
Who’s in charge in East Lansing
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
East Lansing’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofeastlansing.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 151 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 2024 finance file (47,340).
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.
East Lansing School District
East Lansing’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,447 per pupil, $8,431 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.
Bath Community Schools · $13,767 per pupil
Lansing Public School District · $20,420 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How East Lansing voted in 2024
Official results for East Lansing’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat76.3%14,302 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican22.0%4,129 votesOthers: 1.7% (323 votes).
Most votes in East Lansing: Kamala D Harris
Ingham County: Harris 63.8%, Trump 34.1% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of East Lansing’s 38,257 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat76.0%
Mike RogersRepublican21.3%Most votes in East Lansing: Elissa Slotkin
Ingham County: Slotkin 64.5%, Rogers 32.8% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Tom Barrett
Whole-district result
President, 2024: East Lansing, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Lansing | 76.3% | 22.0% | 1.7% | 18,754 |
| Ingham County | 63.8% | 34.1% | 2.0% | 148,101 |
| 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.
How East Lansing compares with the towns next door
East Lansing spent $1,702 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bath Township | $524 | $3,882 |
| DeWitt Township | $674 | $3,688 |
| Meridian Township | $1,053 | $6,225 |
| Lansing Township | $1,371 | $2,717 |
| Lansing | $2,818 | $2,716 |
| East Lansing | $1,702 | $5,599 |
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 East Lansing’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about East Lansing’s government
How much does East Lansing spend per resident?
About $2,045 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 $1,702 was more than 61% of 18 Michigan cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in East Lansing?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,599 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.07% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofeastlansing.com.
Who runs East Lansing’s government?
See cityofeastlansing.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for East Lansing yet.
How did East Lansing vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 76.3%, Donald J Trump 22.0% (18,754 votes, official results). Ingham County: Harris 63.8%, Trump 34.1%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for East Lansing?
313 full-time and 193 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.8M (about $33.1M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents East Lansing in the state legislature?
East Lansing is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Michigan Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 28 (Sam Singh). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about East Lansing’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 →