Southgate spent less per resident in 2022 than 72% of similar cities
Southgate’s city government spent $50.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,712 per resident.
What stands out about how Southgate is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,483 per resident in 2022: less than 72% of them
Southgate’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,483 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Michigan cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,682, and the middle half spent $1,452–$2,015. Southgate spent less than 72% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($6.5 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 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Southgate itself left out).
About $1,712 per resident a year, or $4.69 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 20%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 18% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Southgate 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: $1,483 · 2024: $1,712.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,292 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 Southgate’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 Southgate’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Southgate →
Who’s in charge in Southgate
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Southgate’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on southgate-mi.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 240 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 (29,699).
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.
Southgate Community School District
Southgate’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,697 per pupil, $9,638 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 Southgate voted in 2024
Official results for Southgate’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat49.3%8,119 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican49.2%8,102 votesOthers: 1.5% (253 votes).
Most votes in Southgate: Kamala D Harris
Wayne County: Harris 62.7%, Trump 33.7% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Southgate’s 22,625 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat51.4%
Mike RogersRepublican45.4%Most votes in Southgate: Elissa Slotkin
Wayne County: Slotkin 63.4%, Rogers 31.9% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Shri Thanedar
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Southgate, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southgate | 49.3% | 49.2% | 1.5% | 16,474 |
| Wayne County | 62.7% | 33.7% | 3.6% | 856,690 |
| 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 Southgate.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: southgate-mi.org ↗
- 2Michigan HouseSouthgate 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 Southgate compares with the towns next door
Southgate spent $1,483 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,548 to $3,440. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Park | $1,548 | $2,090 |
| Allen Park | $1,755 | $3,476 |
| Wyandotte | $3,440 | $2,923 |
| Southgate | $1,483 | $3,292 |
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 Southgate’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Southgate’s government
How much does Southgate spend per resident?
About $1,712 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 $1,483 was less than 72% of 18 Michigan cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Southgate?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,292 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 southgate-mi.org.
Who runs Southgate’s government?
See southgate-mi.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Southgate yet.
How did Southgate vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 49.3%, Donald J Trump 49.2% (16,474 votes, official results). Wayne County: Harris 62.7%, Trump 33.7%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Southgate?
124 full-time and 70 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $724,102 (about $8.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Southgate in the state legislature?
Southgate is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Michigan Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 4 (Darrin Camilleri). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Southgate’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 →