Gobles spent less per resident in 2022 than 87% of similar cities
Gobles’ city government spent $411,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $521 per resident.
What stands out about how Gobles is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$521 per resident in 2022: less than 87% of them
Gobles’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($521 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,081, and the middle half spent $751–$1,663. Gobles spent less than 87% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($52,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Gobles itself left out).
About $521 per resident a year, or $1.43 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Gobles reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,677 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.61% 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 Gobles’ 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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Gobles’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Gobles →
Who’s in charge in Gobles
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 263 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (789).
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.
Gobles Public School District
Gobles’ K–12 school district, shared with Pine Grove Township, Almena Township, Bloomingdale Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,369 per pupil, $8,392 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 Gobles voted in 2024
Official results for Gobles’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican62.0%254 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat36.3%149 votesOthers: 1.7% (7 votes).
Most votes in Gobles: Donald J Trump
Van Buren County: Trump 56.8%, Harris 41.7% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Gobles’ 523 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican59.4%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat36.1%Most votes in Gobles: Mike Rogers
Van Buren County: Rogers 55.6%, Slotkin 41.4% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Bill Huizenga
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Gobles, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gobles | 62.0% | 36.3% | 1.7% | 410 |
| Van Buren County | 56.8% | 41.7% | 1.4% | 41,183 |
| 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 Gobles.
- 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 Gobles compares with the towns next door
Gobles spent $521 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pine Grove Township | $213 | $2,359 |
| Bloomingdale Township | $303 | $2,063 |
| Gobles | $521 | $1,677 |
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 Gobles’ government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Gobles’ government
How much does Gobles spend per resident?
About $521 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $521 was less than 87% of 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Gobles?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,677 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.61% 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 Gobles’ government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Gobles yet.
How did Gobles vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 62.0%, Kamala D Harris 36.3% (410 votes, official results). Van Buren County: Trump 56.8%, Harris 41.7%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Gobles?
3 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $8,038 (about $96,456 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Gobles in the state legislature?
State Senate District 20 (Aric Nesbitt) and State House District 39 (Pauline Wendzel). The House district also covers 34 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Gobles’ 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 →