Photo: TCP04 · CC BY 4.0New Buffalo spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
New Buffalo’s city government spent $6.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $3,522 per resident.
What stands out about how New Buffalo is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$3,522 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them
New Buffalo’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,522 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. New Buffalo spent more than 96% 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 cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; New Buffalo itself left out).
About $3,522 per resident a year, or $9.65 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
New Buffalo reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,229 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.83% 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 New Buffalo’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 New Buffalo’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in New Buffalo →
Who’s in charge in New Buffalo
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
New Buffalo’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofnewbuffalo.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 72 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 (1,865).
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.
New Buffalo Area School District
New Buffalo’s K–12 school district, shared with Grand Beach, Michiana, New Buffalo Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $36,004 per pupil, $17,124 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 New Buffalo voted in 2024
Official results for New Buffalo’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat56.5%590 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican41.9%437 votesOthers: 1.6% (17 votes).
Most votes in New Buffalo: Kamala D Harris
Berrien County: Trump 53.2%, Harris 45.4% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of New Buffalo’s 1,181 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat54.1%
Mike RogersRepublican43.0%Most votes in New Buffalo: Elissa Slotkin
Berrien County: Rogers 53.9%, Slotkin 43.3% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Tim Walberg
Whole-district result
President, 2024: New Buffalo, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Buffalo | 56.5% | 41.9% | 1.6% | 1,044 |
| Berrien County | 45.4% | 53.2% | 1.4% | 84,488 |
| 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 New Buffalo.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofnewbuffalo.org ↗
- 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 New Buffalo compares with the towns next door
New Buffalo spent $3,522 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 |
|---|---|---|
| New Buffalo Township | $2,336 | $5,326 |
| New Buffalo | $3,522 | $3,229 |
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 New Buffalo’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about New Buffalo’s government
How much does New Buffalo spend per resident?
About $3,522 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $3,522 was more than 96% of 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in New Buffalo?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,229 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.83% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofnewbuffalo.org.
Who runs New Buffalo’s government?
See cityofnewbuffalo.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for New Buffalo yet.
How did New Buffalo vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 56.5%, Donald J Trump 41.9% (1,044 votes, official results). Berrien County: Trump 53.2%, Harris 45.4%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for New Buffalo?
26 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $163,026 (about $2.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents New Buffalo in the state legislature?
State Senate District 17 (Jonathan Lindsey) and State House District 38 (Joey Andrews). The House district also covers 22 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about New Buffalo’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 →