Photo: Lawrence G. Miller (Lawrence G. Miller on en.wikipedia) · CC BY-SA 3.0Paw Paw spent more per resident in 2022 than 91% of similar cities
Paw Paw’s village government spent $9 million on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2024, about $2,654 per resident.
What stands out about how Paw Paw is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$3,468 per resident in 2022: more than 91% of them
Paw Paw’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,468 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 120 Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,656, and the middle half spent $1,295–$2,347. Paw Paw spent more than 91% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.6 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Paw Paw itself left out).
About $2,654 per resident a year, or $7.27 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 16%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 22% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Paw Paw 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: $3,468 · 2024: $2,654.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,820 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.90% 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 Paw Paw’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 Paw Paw’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Paw Paw →
Who’s in charge in Paw Paw
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Paw Paw’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on pawpaw.net ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 126 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (3,395).
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.
Paw Paw Public School District
Paw Paw’s K–12 school district, shared with Paw Paw Township, Almena Township, Waverly Township, Antwerp Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,613 per pupil, $9,017 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.
Paw Paw’s votes are counted by county
Michigan reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Paw Paw alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Van Buren County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican56.8%23,411 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat41.7%17,185 votesOthers: 1.4% (587 votes).
Most votes in Van Buren County: Donald J Trump
Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
100% of Paw Paw lies in Van Buren County. Every 2024 race in Van Buren County is on the county’s page.
Van Buren 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 Paw Paw.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: pawpaw.net ↗
- 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 Paw Paw compares with the towns next door
Paw Paw spent $3,468 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Antwerp Township | $198 | $2,808 |
| Paw Paw Township | $294 | $2,969 |
| Paw Paw | $3,468 | $2,820 |
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 Paw Paw’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Paw Paw’s government
How much does Paw Paw spend per resident?
About $2,654 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $3,468 was more than 91% of 120 Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Paw Paw?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,820 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.90% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see pawpaw.net.
Who runs Paw Paw’s government?
See pawpaw.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Paw Paw yet.
How did Paw Paw vote in 2024?
Michigan counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Paw Paw alone. Van Buren County, where 100% of Paw Paw lies, voted Trump 56.8%, Harris 41.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Paw Paw?
27 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $182,904 (about $2.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Paw Paw in the state legislature?
Paw Paw is split among 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Michigan Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Paw Paw’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 →