Medical Arts Building · Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Grand Rapids run?
Grand Rapids’ city government spent $453.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,305 per resident. Water and other utilities ($35.9 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Grand Rapids is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Grand Rapids
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: grandrapidsmi.gov ↗
Grand Rapids’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on grandrapidsmi.gov ↗.
About $2,305 per resident a year, or $6.32 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 14%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,892 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Grand Rapids’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,892 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 21 Michigan cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,693, and the middle half spent $1,489–$1,988. Grand Rapids spent more than 62% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($47.2 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 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Grand Rapids itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 20% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Grand Rapids 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: $1,892 · 2023: $2,106 · 2024: $2,305.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,471 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,493 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.02% 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 Grand Rapids’ 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 Grand Rapids’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Grand Rapids →
One full-time city employee for every 126 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 (196,908).
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.
Grand Rapids Public Schools
Grand Rapids’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,531 per pupil, $9,996 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
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Grand Rapids voted in 2024
Official results for Grand Rapids’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat69.4%67,181 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican28.8%27,840 votesOthers: 1.9% (1,812 votes).
Most votes in Grand Rapids: Kamala D Harris
Kent County: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.4% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Grand Rapids’ 144,274 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat68.2%
Mike RogersRepublican28.6%Most votes in Grand Rapids: Elissa Slotkin
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: Grand Rapids, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids | 69.4% | 28.8% | 1.9% | 96,833 |
| Kent County | 51.8% | 46.4% | 1.8% | 371,947 |
| 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
Grand Rapids sends 4 representatives to the Michigan House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorDavid LaGrandas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Michigan HouseGrand Rapids is split between 4 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.
How Grand Rapids compares with the towns next door
Grand Rapids spent $1,892 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $202 to $1,378. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids Township | $202 | $4,173 |
| Kentwood | $853 | $3,246 |
| Walker | $998 | $2,698 |
| Wyoming | $1,188 | $2,812 |
| East Grand Rapids | $1,378 | $7,474 |
| Grand Rapids | $1,892 | $2,493 |
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 Grand Rapids’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Grand Rapids’ government
How much does Grand Rapids spend per resident?
About $2,305 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 $1,892 was more than 62% of 21 Michigan cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Grand Rapids?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,493 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.02% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see grandrapidsmi.gov.
Who is the mayor of Grand Rapids?
David LaGrand, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on grandrapidsmi.gov.
How did Grand Rapids vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 69.4%, Donald J Trump 28.8% (96,833 votes, official results). Kent County: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.4%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Grand Rapids?
1,566 full-time and 229 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $12.0M (about $144.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Grand Rapids in the state legislature?
Grand Rapids is split among 4 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Michigan Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Grand Rapids’ 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 →