Photo: Lrgjr72 · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Rochester run?
Rochester’s city government spent $24.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,850 per resident.
What stands out about how Rochester is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Rochester’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov4Planning CommissionWednesday · 7:00 pmMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pmCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov23City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pmCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov23City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pmCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov23City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pmCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec7Planning CommissionMonday · 7:00 pmMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Oct26City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pmCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct26City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pmCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct26City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pmCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct12City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pmCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct5Planning CommissionMonday · 7:00 pmMeeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,850 per resident a year, or $5.07 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,850 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Rochester’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,850 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. Rochester spent less than 52% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Rochester itself left out).
No trend yet
Rochester reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $6,047 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.28% 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 Rochester’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 Rochester’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Rochester →
Who’s in charge in Rochester
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 213 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 (13,201).
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.
Rochester Community School District
Rochester’s K–12 school district, shared with Rochester Hills, Oakland Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,197 per pupil, $8,925 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 Rochester voted in 2024
Official results for Rochester’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican50.2%4,189 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat48.2%4,022 votesOthers: 1.6% (137 votes).
Most votes in Rochester: Donald J Trump
Oakland County: Harris 54.3%, Trump 43.7% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Rochester’s 9,514 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican49.9%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat48.5%Most votes in Rochester: Mike Rogers
Oakland County: Slotkin 54.8%, Rogers 42.7% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: John James
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Rochester, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester | 50.2% | 48.2% | 1.6% | 8,348 |
| Oakland County | 43.7% | 54.3% | 1.9% | 772,145 |
| 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 Rochester.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.rochester.mi.us ↗
- 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 Rochester compares with the towns next door
Rochester spent $1,850 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $721 to $1,142. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Shelby Township | $721 | $3,792 |
| Rochester Hills | $1,142 | $4,540 |
| Rochester | $1,850 | $6,047 |
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 Rochester’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Rochester’s government
How much does Rochester spend per resident?
About $1,850 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 $1,850 was less than 52% of 44 Michigan cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Rochester?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,047 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.28% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.rochester.mi.us.
Who runs Rochester’s government?
See ci.rochester.mi.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Rochester yet.
How did Rochester vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 50.2%, Kamala D Harris 48.2% (8,348 votes, official results). Oakland County: Harris 54.3%, Trump 43.7%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Rochester?
62 full-time and 25 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $411,212 (about $4.9M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Rochester in the state legislature?
State Senate District 9 (Michael Webber) and State House District 55 (Mark Tisdel). The House district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Rochester?
The next posted meeting is Planning Commission on Wednesday, November 4, at 7:00 pm, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Rochester’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 →