Photo: Lrgjr72 · CC BY-SA 4.0Ferndale spent more per resident in 2022 than 75% of similar cities
Ferndale’s city government spent $43.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,276 per resident.
What stands out about how Ferndale is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,460 per resident in 2022: more than 75% of them
Ferndale’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,460 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 44 Michigan cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,874, and the middle half spent $1,414–$2,454. Ferndale spent more than 75% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($11.9 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Ferndale itself left out).
About $2,276 per resident a year, or $6.24 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 13% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Ferndale 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: $2,460 · 2023: $2,641 · 2024: $2,276. Per resident it went from $2,460 to $2,276 (down 7%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 20,198 to 18,969.
full-time in March 2025, down from 145 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 $3,867 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.56% 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 Ferndale’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 Ferndale’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ferndale →
Who’s in charge in Ferndale
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Ferndale’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ferndalemi.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 155 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 (18,969).
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.
Ferndale Public Schools
Ferndale’s K–12 school district, shared with Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,020 per pupil, $8,318 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.
Hazel Park City School District · $22,396 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Ferndale voted in 2024
Official results for Ferndale’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat78.8%10,355 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican19.1%2,506 votesOthers: 2.1% (276 votes).
Most votes in Ferndale: Kamala D Harris
Oakland County: Harris 54.3%, Trump 43.7% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Ferndale’s 17,111 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat78.9%
Mike RogersRepublican18.1%Most votes in Ferndale: Elissa Slotkin
Oakland County: Slotkin 54.8%, Rogers 42.7% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Haley Stevens
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Ferndale, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferndale | 78.8% | 19.1% | 2.1% | 13,137 |
| Oakland County | 54.3% | 43.7% | 1.9% | 772,145 |
| 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
Every level of government that speaks for Ferndale.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ferndalemi.gov ↗
- 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 Ferndale compares with the towns next door
Ferndale spent $2,460 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $686 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Oak Township | $686 | $2,277 |
| Oak Park | $1,679 | $2,839 |
| Royal Oak | $1,967 | $4,203 |
| Hazel Park | $2,121 | $2,468 |
| Pleasant Ridge | $2,674 | $6,804 |
| Detroit | $2,910 | $1,402 |
| Ferndale | $2,460 | $3,867 |
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 Ferndale’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Ferndale’s government
How much does Ferndale spend per resident?
About $2,276 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 $2,460 was more than 75% of 44 Michigan cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Ferndale?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,867 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.56% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ferndalemi.gov.
Who runs Ferndale’s government?
See ferndalemi.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ferndale yet.
How did Ferndale vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 78.8%, Donald J Trump 19.1% (13,137 votes, official results). Oakland County: Harris 54.3%, Trump 43.7%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Ferndale?
122 full-time and 14 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $841,863 (about $10.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Ferndale in the state legislature?
State Senate District 8 (Mallory McMorrow) and State House District 8 (Helena Scott). The House district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Ferndale’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 →