Photo: Drdpw · CC BY-SA 4.0Sandusky spent more per resident in 2022 than 72% of similar cities
Sandusky’s city government spent $3.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, about $1,482 per resident. The airport ($72,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Sandusky is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,482 per resident in 2022: more than 72% of them
Sandusky’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,482 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–$1,663. Sandusky spent more than 72% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.3 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; Sandusky itself left out).
About $1,482 per resident a year, or $4.06 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 36%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Sandusky reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,425 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.25% 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 Sandusky’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 Sandusky’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Sandusky →
Who’s in charge in Sandusky
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 147 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 (2,494).
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.
Sandusky Community School District
Sandusky’s K–12 school district, shared with Moore Township, Watertown Township, Custer Township, Elmer Township, Argyle Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,336 per pupil, $8,139 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 Sandusky voted in 2024
Official results for Sandusky’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican67.3%875 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat31.3%407 votesOthers: 1.5% (19 votes).
Most votes in Sandusky: Donald J Trump
Sanilac County: Trump 73.2%, Harris 25.5% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Sandusky’s 2,180 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican64.7%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat31.4%Most votes in Sandusky: Mike Rogers
Sanilac County: Rogers 70.9%, Slotkin 26.3% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Lisa McClain
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Sandusky, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandusky | 67.3% | 31.3% | 1.5% | 1,301 |
| Sanilac County | 73.2% | 25.5% | 1.3% | 23,339 |
| 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 Sandusky.
- 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 Sandusky compares with the towns next door
Sandusky spent $1,482 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Custer Township | $242 | $1,672 |
| Watertown Township | $307 | $1,762 |
| Sandusky | $1,482 | $1,425 |
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 Sandusky’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Sandusky’s government
How much does Sandusky spend per resident?
About $1,482 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,482 was more than 72% of 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Sandusky?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,425 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.25% 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 Sandusky’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Sandusky yet.
How did Sandusky vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 67.3%, Kamala D Harris 31.3% (1,301 votes, official results). Sanilac County: Trump 73.2%, Harris 25.5%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Sandusky?
17 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $86,247 (about $1.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Sandusky in the state legislature?
State Senate District 25 (Dan Lauwers) and State House District 98 (Greg Alexander). The House district also covers 94 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Sandusky’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 →