Photo: Andrew Martin · CC BY 3.0Lansing spent more per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Lansing’s city government spent $333.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,960 per resident. Water and other utilities ($312.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Lansing is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Lansing’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov2Arts and Cultural CommissionMonday · 3:30 pm · 1220 W. Kalamazoo StAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov2Committee on Development & PlanningMonday · 4:00 pm · 124 W Michigan Avenue, 10th Floor- Council Conference RoomAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov3Diversity Equity and Inclusion Advisory BoardTuesday · 5:30 am · 124 W. Michigan Ave, 7th Floor - Conference RoomCancelled: Diversity Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board 11.03.26Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov3Committee on Public SafetyTuesday · 4:00 pm · 124 W Michigan Avenue, 10th Floor- Council Conference RoomCommittee on Public SafetyAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4Public Media AuthorityWednesday · 3:30 pm · 500 S. Washington AvenueMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4Public Media AuthorityWednesday · 3:30 pm · City Attorney Office 124 West Michigan, 5th FloorMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Oct28Saginaw Street Corridor Improvement AuthorityWednesday · 3:00 pm · 529 W. Saginaw St., 529 W. Saginaw St.Saginaw Street CIA Special MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct27Human Relations and Community Services Advisory BoardTuesday · 5:30 pm · Foster Community Center, 200 N. FosterHuman Relations and Community Services BoardAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct26City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Tony Benavides Lansing City Council Chambers, David C. Hollister Lansing City Hall 124 W. Michigan Avenue, 10th FloorCity Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct22Committee on City OperationsThursday · 4:00 pm · 124 W Michigan Avenue, 10th Floor- Council Conference RoomAgenda ↗Minutes ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct21Lansing Gateway North Grand River Improvement AuthorityWednesday · 4:00 pm · 4100 Capital City Blvd.One Time EventAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $2,960 per resident a year, or $8.11 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 16%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$2,818 per resident in 2022: more than 100% of them
Lansing’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,818 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–$1,967. Lansing spent more than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($13.2 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; Lansing itself left out).
Day-to-day spending has held about steady since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Lansing 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: $2,818 · 2023: $2,850 · 2024: $2,960.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,550 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,716 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.11% 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 Lansing’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 Lansing’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lansing →
Who’s in charge in Lansing
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 70 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (112,537).
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.
Lansing Public School District
Lansing’s K–12 school district, shared with DeWitt Township, Lansing Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,420 per pupil, $9,170 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.
Grand Ledge Public Schools · $12,607 per pupil
Okemos Public Schools · $14,900 per pupil
Holt Public Schools · $15,541 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Lansing voted in 2024
Official results for Lansing’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat71.9%37,656 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican26.0%13,618 votesOthers: 2.1% (1,116 votes).
Most votes in Lansing: Kamala D Harris
Ingham County: Harris 63.8%, Trump 34.1% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Lansing’s 83,114 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat72.2%
Mike RogersRepublican24.4%Most votes in Lansing: Elissa Slotkin
Ingham County: Slotkin 64.5%, Rogers 32.8% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Tom Barrett
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Lansing, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lansing | 71.9% | 26.0% | 2.1% | 52,390 |
| Ingham County | 63.8% | 34.1% | 2.0% | 148,101 |
| 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
Lansing sends 4 representatives to the Michigan House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: lansingmi.gov ↗
- 2Michigan HouseLansing 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 Lansing compares with the towns next door
Lansing spent $2,818 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Windsor Township | $301 | $3,549 |
| Delhi Township | $544 | $4,579 |
| DeWitt Township | $674 | $3,688 |
| Delta Township | $748 | $3,736 |
| Lansing Township | $1,371 | $2,717 |
| East Lansing | $1,702 | $5,599 |
| Lansing | $2,818 | $2,716 |
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 Lansing’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Lansing’s government
How much does Lansing spend per resident?
About $2,960 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 $2,818 was more than 100% of 21 Michigan cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lansing?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,716 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.11% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see lansingmi.gov.
Who runs Lansing’s government?
See lansingmi.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lansing yet.
How did Lansing vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 71.9%, Donald J Trump 26.0% (52,390 votes, official results). Ingham County: Harris 63.8%, Trump 34.1%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Lansing?
1,608 full-time and 101 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $13.4M (about $160.8M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Lansing in the state legislature?
Lansing 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.
When is the next public meeting in Lansing?
The next posted meeting is Arts and Cultural Commission on Monday, November 2, at 3:30 pm in 1220 W. Kalamazoo St, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Lansing’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 →