Photo: Lrgjr72 · CC BY-SA 4.0Royal Oak spent more per resident in 2022 than 75% of similar cities
Royal Oak’s city government spent $130.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,270 per resident.
What stands out about how Royal Oak is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,967 per resident in 2022: more than 75% of them
Royal Oak’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,967 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 16 Michigan cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,648, and the middle half spent $1,430–$1,946. Royal Oak spent more than 75% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($36.1 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 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Royal Oak itself left out).
About $2,270 per resident a year, or $6.22 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 13% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Royal Oak 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: $1,967 · 2023: $2,188 · 2024: $2,270.
full-time in March 2025, up from 323 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,203 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 Royal Oak’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 Royal Oak’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Royal Oak →
Who’s in charge in Royal Oak
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Royal Oak’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.royal-oak.mi.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 159 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (57,495).
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.
Royal Oak City School District
Royal Oak’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,245 per pupil, $10,262 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 Royal Oak voted in 2024
Official results for Royal Oak’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat65.3%25,744 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican33.0%13,002 votesOthers: 1.7% (666 votes).
Most votes in Royal Oak: Kamala D Harris
Oakland County: Harris 54.3%, Trump 43.7% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Royal Oak’s 47,934 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat65.4%
Mike RogersRepublican32.4%Most votes in Royal Oak: Elissa Slotkin
Oakland County: Slotkin 54.8%, Rogers 42.7% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Haley Stevens
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Royal Oak, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Oak | 65.3% | 33.0% | 1.7% | 39,412 |
| Oakland County | 54.3% | 43.7% | 1.9% | 772,145 |
| 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 Royal Oak.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.royal-oak.mi.us ↗
- 2Michigan HouseRoyal Oak 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 Royal Oak compares with the towns next door
Royal Oak spent $1,967 per resident in 2022; the 7 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,108 to $2,460. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Troy | $1,108 | $5,267 |
| Clawson | $1,175 | $3,793 |
| Madison Heights | $1,527 | $2,941 |
| Berkley | $1,667 | $3,934 |
| Hazel Park | $2,121 | $2,468 |
| Huntington Woods | $2,300 | $7,862 |
| Ferndale | $2,460 | $3,867 |
| Royal Oak | $1,967 | $4,203 |
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 Royal Oak’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Royal Oak’s government
How much does Royal Oak spend per resident?
About $2,270 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,967 was more than 75% of 16 Michigan cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Royal Oak?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,203 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.royal-oak.mi.us.
Who runs Royal Oak’s government?
See ci.royal-oak.mi.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Royal Oak yet.
How did Royal Oak vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 65.3%, Donald J Trump 33.0% (39,412 votes, official results). Oakland County: Harris 54.3%, Trump 43.7%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Royal Oak?
361 full-time and 104 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.8M (about $33.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Royal Oak in the state legislature?
Royal Oak is split among 2 State House districts and 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 Royal Oak’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 →