Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad Harbor Springs Depot · Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0Harbor Springs spent more per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities
Harbor Springs’ city government spent $8.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $7,264 per resident.
What stands out about how Harbor Springs is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$7,264 per resident in 2022: more than 99% of them
Harbor Springs’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($7,264 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 $1,078, and the middle half spent $748–$1,622. Harbor Springs spent more than 99% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.2 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Harbor Springs itself left out).
About $7,264 per resident a year, or $19.90 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 13%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Harbor Springs reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,469 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.08% 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 Harbor Springs’ 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 Harbor Springs’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Harbor Springs →
Who’s in charge in Harbor Springs
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Harbor Springs’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofharborsprings.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 39 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 (1,203).
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.
Harbor Springs School District
Harbor Springs’ K–12 school district, shared with Cross Village Township, Friendship Township, West Traverse Township, Readmond Township, Little Traverse Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $23,035 per pupil, $13,862 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 Harbor Springs voted in 2024
Official results for Harbor Springs’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat50.9%469 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican47.4%437 votesOthers: 1.6% (15 votes).
Most votes in Harbor Springs: Kamala D Harris
Emmet County: Trump 54.5%, Harris 43.8% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Harbor Springs’ 980 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat48.7%
Mike RogersRepublican48.4%Most votes in Harbor Springs: Elissa Slotkin
Emmet County: Rogers 54.3%, Slotkin 43.1% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Jack Bergman
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Harbor Springs, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor Springs | 50.9% | 47.4% | 1.6% | 921 |
| Emmet County | 43.8% | 54.5% | 1.7% | 22,851 |
| 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 Harbor Springs.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofharborsprings.com ↗
- 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 Harbor Springs compares with the towns next door
Harbor Springs spent $7,264 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 |
|---|---|---|
| West Traverse Township | $520 | $3,346 |
| Little Traverse Township | $535 | $2,445 |
| Harbor Springs | $7,264 | $4,469 |
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 Harbor Springs’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Harbor Springs’ government
How much does Harbor Springs spend per resident?
About $7,264 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 $7,264 was more than 99% of 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Harbor Springs?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,469 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.08% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofharborsprings.com.
Who runs Harbor Springs’ government?
See cityofharborsprings.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Harbor Springs yet.
How did Harbor Springs vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 50.9%, Donald J Trump 47.4% (921 votes, official results). Emmet County: Trump 54.5%, Harris 43.8%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Harbor Springs?
31 full-time and 39 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $157,020 (about $1.9M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Harbor Springs in the state legislature?
State Senate District 37 (John Damoose) and State House District 107 (Parker Fairbairn). The House district also covers 57 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Harbor Springs’ 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 →