Photo: Lonepointe · CC BY-SA 3.0Sparta spent less per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities
Sparta’s village government spent $4.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,109 per resident. The airport ($426,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Sparta is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$1,109 per resident in 2022: less than 90% of them
Sparta’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,109 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 $1,333–$2,384. Sparta spent less than 90% 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; Sparta itself left out).
About $1,109 per resident a year, or $3.04 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Sparta reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,139 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.46% 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 Sparta’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 Sparta’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Sparta →
Who’s in charge in Sparta
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Sparta’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on spartami.org ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 259 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 (4,409).
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.
Sparta Area Schools
Sparta’s K–12 school district, shared with Sparta Township, Algoma Township, Chester Township, Alpine Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,176 per pupil, $9,559 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.
Sparta’s votes are counted by county
Michigan reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Sparta alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Kent County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat51.8%192,668 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican46.4%172,720 votesOthers: 1.8% (6,559 votes).
Most votes in Kent County: Kamala D Harris
Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
100% of Sparta lies in Kent County. Every 2024 race in Kent County is on the county’s page.
Kent County’s 2024 results →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. 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 Sparta.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: spartami.org ↗
- 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.
Reach Sparta’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Sparta’s government
How much does Sparta spend per resident?
About $1,109 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,109 was less than 90% of 120 Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Sparta?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,139 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.46% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see spartami.org.
Who runs Sparta’s government?
See spartami.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Sparta yet.
How did Sparta vote in 2024?
Michigan counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Sparta alone. Kent County, where 100% of Sparta lies, voted Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Sparta?
17 full-time and 18 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $97,924 (about $1.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Sparta in the state legislature?
State Senate District 33 (Rick Outman) and State House District 90 (Bryan Posthumus). The House district also covers 10 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Sparta’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 →