Rowe House · Photo: Traveler100 · CC BY-SA 3.0Highland Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar towns
Highland Township’s town government spent $15.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $791 per resident.
What stands out about how Highland Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$791 per resident in 2022: more than 88% of them
Highland Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($791 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 68 Michigan towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $541, and the middle half spent $325–$696. Highland Township spent more than 88% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.9 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Highland Township itself left out).
About $791 per resident a year, or $2.17 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Highland Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,823 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.16% 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 Highland 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 Highland Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Highland Township →
Who’s in charge in Highland Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 772 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 (20,064).
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.
Huron Valley Schools
Highland Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Milford, Milford Township, White Lake Township, Commerce Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,636 per pupil, $8,669 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 Highland Township voted in 2024
Official results for Highland Township’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican62.8%8,393 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat35.7%4,773 votesOthers: 1.5% (196 votes).
Most votes in Highland Township: Donald J Trump
Oakland County: Harris 54.3%, Trump 43.7% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Highland Township’s 15,218 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican60.7%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat37.0%Most votes in Highland Township: Mike Rogers
Oakland County: Slotkin 54.8%, Rogers 42.7% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Lisa McClain
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Highland Township, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Township | 62.8% | 35.7% | 1.5% | 13,362 |
| Oakland County | 43.7% | 54.3% | 1.9% | 772,145 |
| 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 Highland 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 Highland Township compares with the towns next door
Highland Township spent $791 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $321 to $726. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Rose Township | $321 | $2,857 |
| Hartland Township | $481 | $3,696 |
| Milford Township | $540 | $5,685 |
| White Lake Township | $726 | $4,000 |
| Highland Township | $791 | $3,823 |
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 Highland Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Highland Township’s government
How much does Highland Township spend per resident?
About $791 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 $791 was more than 88% of 68 Michigan towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Highland Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,823 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.16% 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 Highland Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Highland Township yet.
How did Highland Township vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 62.8%, Kamala D Harris 35.7% (13,362 votes, official results). Oakland County: Harris 54.3%, Trump 43.7%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Highland Township?
26 full-time and 44 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $187,885 (about $2.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Highland Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 23 (Jim Runestad) and State House District 51 (Matt Maddock). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Highland 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 →