Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0Laurium spent more per resident in 2022 than 73% of similar cities
Laurium’s village government spent $2.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, about $1,494 per resident.
What stands out about how Laurium is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$1,494 per resident in 2022: more than 73% of them
Laurium’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,494 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–$1,663. Laurium spent more than 73% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($218,000), 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; Laurium itself left out).
About $1,494 per resident a year, or $4.09 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 45%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Laurium reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,255 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.00% 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 Laurium’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 Laurium’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Laurium →
Who’s in charge in Laurium
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time village employee for every 156 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 (1,872).
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.
Calumet Public Schools
Laurium’s K–12 school district, shared with Ahmeek, Allouez Township, Calumet, Copper City, Eagle Harbor Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,339 per pupil, $9,899 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.
Laurium’s votes are counted by county
Michigan reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Laurium alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Houghton County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican57.7%11,181 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat40.7%7,881 votesOthers: 1.6% (312 votes).
Most votes in Houghton County: Donald J Trump
Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
100% of Laurium lies in Houghton County. Every 2024 race in Houghton County is on the county’s page.
Houghton County’s 2024 results →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. 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 Laurium.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal 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 Laurium compares with the towns next door
Laurium spent $1,494 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Calumet Township | $223 | $983 |
| Laurium | $1,494 | $1,255 |
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 Laurium’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Laurium’s government
How much does Laurium spend per resident?
About $1,494 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,494 was more than 73% of 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Laurium?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,255 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.00% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.
Who runs Laurium’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Laurium yet.
How did Laurium vote in 2024?
Michigan counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Laurium alone. Houghton County, where 100% of Laurium lies, voted Trump 57.7%, Harris 40.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Laurium?
12 full-time and 60 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $76,251 (about $915,012 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Laurium in the state legislature?
State Senate District 38 (Ed McBroom) and State House District 110 (Greg Markkanen). The House district also covers 63 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Laurium’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 →