M-27-Au Sable River Bridge · Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Grayling run?
Grayling’s city government spent $7.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $3,917 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Grayling didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Grayling is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Crawford AuSable Schools
Grayling’s K–12 school district, shared with Frederic Township, Grayling Township, Lovells Township, Maple Forest Township, Beaver Creek Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,577 per pupil, $8,200 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.
About $3,917 per resident a year, or $10.73 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: housing & development, at 35%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Grayling didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Grayling yet
Every year of Grayling’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $1,788 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.11% 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 Grayling’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Grayling’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Grayling →
Who’s in charge in Grayling
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Grayling’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofgrayling.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 44 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 (1,845).
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.
How Grayling voted in 2024
Official results for Grayling’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican60.8%487 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat38.1%305 votesOthers: 1.1% (9 votes).
Most votes in Grayling: Donald J Trump
Crawford County: Trump 66.2%, Harris 32.5% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Grayling’s 1,377 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican58.9%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat38.3%Most votes in Grayling: Mike Rogers
Crawford County: Rogers 64.3%, Slotkin 32.4% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Jack Bergman
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Grayling, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grayling | 60.8% | 38.1% | 1.1% | 801 |
| Crawford County | 66.2% | 32.5% | 1.3% | 8,476 |
| 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 Grayling.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofgrayling.org ↗
- 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.
Reach Grayling’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Grayling’s government
How much does Grayling spend per resident?
About $3,917 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Grayling didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $10.9 million.
What is the property tax rate in Grayling?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,788 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.11% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofgrayling.org.
Who runs Grayling’s government?
See cityofgrayling.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Grayling yet.
How did Grayling vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 60.8%, Kamala D Harris 38.1% (801 votes, official results). Crawford County: Trump 66.2%, Harris 32.5%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Grayling?
42 full-time and 18 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $118,815 (about $1.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Grayling in the state legislature?
State Senate District 36 (Michele Hoitenga) and State House District 105 (Ken Borton). The House district also covers 56 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Grayling’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 (for Grayling, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →