Sylvan Lake spent more per resident in 2022 than 83% of similar cities
Sylvan Lake’s city government spent $3.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $2,065 per resident.
What stands out about how Sylvan Lake is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,065 per resident in 2022: more than 83% of them
Sylvan Lake’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,065 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–$1,622. Sylvan Lake spent more than 83% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.4 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; Sylvan Lake itself left out).
About $2,065 per resident a year, or $5.66 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 37%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Sylvan Lake reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,947 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.27% 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 Sylvan Lake’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Sylvan Lake’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Sylvan Lake →
Who’s in charge in Sylvan Lake
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Sylvan Lake’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on sylvanlake.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 142 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 (1,840).
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.
Pontiac City School District
Sylvan Lake’s K–12 school district, shared with Pontiac, Auburn Hills, Lake Angelus. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $24,507 per pupil, $10,645 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.
West Bloomfield School District · $16,964 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Sylvan Lake voted in 2024
Official results for Sylvan Lake’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat50.2%629 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican48.2%605 votesOthers: 1.6% (20 votes).
Most votes in Sylvan Lake: Kamala D Harris
Oakland County: Harris 54.3%, Trump 43.7% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Sylvan Lake’s 1,467 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat50.5%
Mike RogersRepublican48.2%Most votes in Sylvan Lake: 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: Sylvan Lake, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvan Lake | 50.2% | 48.2% | 1.6% | 1,254 |
| 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 Sylvan Lake.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: sylvanlake.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.
How Sylvan Lake compares with the towns next door
Sylvan Lake spent $2,065 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 |
|---|---|---|
| West Bloomfield Township | $896 | $5,467 |
| Waterford Township | $952 | $2,722 |
| Pontiac | estimate | $1,257 |
| Sylvan Lake | $2,065 | $4,947 |
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 Sylvan Lake’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Sylvan Lake’s government
How much does Sylvan Lake spend per resident?
About $2,065 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 $2,065 was more than 83% of 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Sylvan Lake?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,947 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.27% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see sylvanlake.org.
Who runs Sylvan Lake’s government?
See sylvanlake.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Sylvan Lake yet.
How did Sylvan Lake vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 50.2%, Donald J Trump 48.2% (1,254 votes, official results). Oakland County: Harris 54.3%, Trump 43.7%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Sylvan Lake?
13 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $64,477 (about $773,724 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Sylvan Lake in the state legislature?
State Senate District 13 (Rosemary Bayer) and State House District 20 (Noah Arbit). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Sylvan Lake’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 →