Gaines Township spent less per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar towns
Gaines Township’s town government spent $8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $289 per resident.
What stands out about how Gaines Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$289 per resident in 2022: less than 100% of them
Gaines Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($289 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 24 Michigan towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $798, and the middle half spent $681–$1,023. Gaines Township spent less than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.5 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 towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Gaines Township itself left out).
About $289 per resident a year, or $0.79 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 44%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Gaines Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,241 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.00% 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 Gaines Township’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 Gaines Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Gaines Township →
Who’s in charge in Gaines Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 1,835 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (27,520).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Caledonia Community Schools
Gaines Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Caledonia, Caledonia Township, Bowne Township, Cascade Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,092 per pupil, $9,106 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.
Kentwood Public Schools · $16,317 per pupil
Byron Center Public Schools · $13,898 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Gaines Township voted in 2024
Official results for Gaines Township’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.4%8,788 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat43.3%6,871 votesOthers: 1.4% (215 votes).
Most votes in Gaines Township: Donald J Trump
Kent County: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.4% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Gaines Township’s 20,034 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican55.0%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat42.4%Most votes in Gaines Township: Mike Rogers
Kent County: Slotkin 50.9%, Rogers 46.3% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Hillary Scholten
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Gaines Township, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaines Township | 55.4% | 43.3% | 1.4% | 15,874 |
| Kent County | 46.4% | 51.8% | 1.8% | 371,947 |
| 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 Gaines Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal 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 Gaines Township compares with the towns next door
Gaines Township spent $289 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $230 to $853. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Leighton Township | $230 | $3,565 |
| Caledonia Township | $313 | $3,983 |
| Byron Township | $406 | $3,762 |
| Kentwood | $853 | $3,246 |
| Gaines Township | $289 | $3,241 |
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 Gaines Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Gaines Township’s government
How much does Gaines Township spend per resident?
About $289 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $289 was less than 100% of 24 Michigan towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Gaines Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,241 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.00% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Gaines Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Gaines Township yet.
How did Gaines Township vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 55.4%, Kamala D Harris 43.3% (15,874 votes, official results). Kent County: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.4%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Gaines Township?
15 full-time and 55 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $171,111 (about $2.1M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Gaines Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 20 (Aric Nesbitt) and State House District 79 (Angela Rigas). The House district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Gaines Township’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 →