Michigan Paper Company Mill Historic District · Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Plainwell run?
Plainwell’s city government spent $5.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,436 per resident.
What stands out about how Plainwell is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,436 per resident a year, or $3.93 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,436 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Plainwell’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,436 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 $1,684, and the middle half spent $1,295–$2,384. Plainwell spent less than 63% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.2 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Plainwell itself left out).
No trend yet
Plainwell reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,132 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.42% 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 Plainwell’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 Plainwell’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Plainwell →
Who’s in charge in Plainwell
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 151 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 (3,774).
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.
Plainwell Community Schools
Plainwell’s K–12 school district, shared with Gun Plain Township, Cooper Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,495 per pupil, $7,994 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 Plainwell voted in 2024
Official results for Plainwell’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican50.3%997 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat47.5%943 votesOthers: 2.2% (44 votes).
Most votes in Plainwell: Donald J Trump
Allegan County: Trump 62.9%, Harris 35.6% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Plainwell’s 3,080 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican48.8%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat46.9%Most votes in Plainwell: Mike Rogers
Allegan County: Rogers 61.9%, Slotkin 35.3% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Bill Huizenga
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Plainwell, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plainwell | 50.3% | 47.5% | 2.2% | 1,984 |
| Allegan County | 62.9% | 35.6% | 1.5% | 71,899 |
| Michigan | 49.7% | 48.3% | 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 Plainwell.
- 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 Plainwell compares with the towns next door
Plainwell spent $1,436 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Gun Plain Township | $306 | $2,771 |
| Otsego Township | $347 | $2,842 |
| Plainwell | $1,436 | $3,132 |
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 Plainwell’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Plainwell’s government
How much does Plainwell spend per resident?
About $1,436 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 $1,436 was less than 63% of 120 Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Plainwell?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,132 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.42% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Plainwell’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Plainwell yet.
How did Plainwell vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 50.3%, Kamala D Harris 47.5% (1,984 votes, official results). Allegan County: Trump 62.9%, Harris 35.6%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Plainwell?
25 full-time and 23 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $144,310 (about $1.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Plainwell in the state legislature?
State Senate District 18 (Thomas Albert) and State House District 42 (Matt Hall). The House district also covers 20 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Plainwell’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 →