How is Muskegon Heights run?
Muskegon Heights’ city government spent $20.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $2,031 per resident.
What stands out about how Muskegon Heights is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $2,031 per resident a year, or $5.56 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 18%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,644 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Muskegon Heights’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,644 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 44 Michigan cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,901, and the middle half spent $1,414–$2,467. Muskegon Heights spent less than 61% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Muskegon Heights itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 15% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Muskegon Heights 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: $1,644 · 2023: $2,031. Per resident it went from $1,644 to $2,031 (up 24%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 10,688 to 9,951.
full-time in March 2025, up from 116 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 $1,194 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.76% 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 Muskegon Heights’ 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 Muskegon Heights’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Muskegon Heights →
Who’s in charge in Muskegon Heights
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Muskegon Heights’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofmuskegonheights.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 84 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 2023 finance file (9,951).
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.
How Muskegon Heights voted in 2024
Official results for Muskegon Heights’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat87.6%3,141 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican10.9%392 votesOthers: 1.5% (53 votes).
Most votes in Muskegon Heights: Kamala D Harris
Muskegon County: Trump 50.1%, Harris 48.4% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Muskegon Heights’ 6,802 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat85.4%
Mike RogersRepublican11.0%Most votes in Muskegon Heights: Elissa Slotkin
Muskegon County: Rogers 48.4%, Slotkin 48.4% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Hillary Scholten
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Muskegon Heights, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muskegon Heights | 87.6% | 10.9% | 1.5% | 3,586 |
| Muskegon County | 48.4% | 50.1% | 1.5% | 95,181 |
| 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 Muskegon Heights.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofmuskegonheights.org ↗
- 2Michigan HouseMuskegon Heights is split between 2 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 Muskegon Heights compares with the towns next door
Muskegon Heights spent $1,644 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,325 to $1,686. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Norton Shores | $1,325 | $2,857 |
| Muskegon | $1,686 | $1,468 |
| Muskegon Heights | $1,644 | $1,194 |
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 Muskegon Heights’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Muskegon Heights’ government
How much does Muskegon Heights spend per resident?
About $2,031 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,644 was less than 61% of 44 Michigan cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Muskegon Heights?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,194 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.76% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofmuskegonheights.org.
Who runs Muskegon Heights’ government?
See cityofmuskegonheights.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Muskegon Heights yet.
How did Muskegon Heights vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 87.6%, Donald J Trump 10.9% (3,586 votes, official results). Muskegon County: Trump 50.1%, Harris 48.4%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Muskegon Heights?
118 full-time and 26 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $658,268 (about $7.9M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Muskegon Heights in the state legislature?
Muskegon Heights is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Michigan Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 32 (Jon Bumstead). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Muskegon Heights’ 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 →