Photo: Aaron Smith · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Three Rivers run?
Three Rivers’ city government spent $27.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $3,436 per resident.
What stands out about how Three Rivers is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $3,436 per resident a year, or $9.41 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 52%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,828 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Three Rivers’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,828 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 $1,656, and the middle half spent $1,295–$2,384. Three Rivers spent more than 61% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.7 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; Three Rivers itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 96% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Three Rivers 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: $1,828 · 2024: $3,436. Per resident it went from $1,828 to $3,436 (up 88%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 7,600 to 7,905.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,863 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.38% 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 Three Rivers’ 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 Three Rivers’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Three Rivers →
Who’s in charge in Three Rivers
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 104 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 (7,905).
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.
Three Rivers Community Schools
Three Rivers’ K–12 school district, shared with Fabius Township, Flowerfield Township, Park Township, Lockport Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,451 per pupil, $8,372 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 Three Rivers voted in 2024
Official results for Three Rivers’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican52.9%1,702 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat45.1%1,451 votesOthers: 2.0% (63 votes).
Most votes in Three Rivers: Donald J Trump
St. Joseph County: Trump 66.2%, Harris 32.3% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Three Rivers’ 5,788 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican49.5%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat45.5%Most votes in Three Rivers: Mike Rogers
St. Joseph County: Rogers 64.5%, Slotkin 32.0% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Tim Walberg
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Three Rivers, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three Rivers | 52.9% | 45.1% | 2.0% | 3,216 |
| St. Joseph County | 66.2% | 32.3% | 1.5% | 29,307 |
| 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 Three Rivers.
- 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 Three Rivers compares with the towns next door
Three Rivers spent $1,828 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $346. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Fabius Township | $346 | $2,406 |
| Lockport Township | estimate | $2,011 |
| Three Rivers | $1,828 | $1,863 |
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 Three Rivers’ government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Three Rivers’ government
How much does Three Rivers spend per resident?
About $3,436 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 $1,828 was more than 61% of 120 Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Three Rivers?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,863 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.38% 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 Three Rivers’ government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Three Rivers yet.
How did Three Rivers vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 52.9%, Kamala D Harris 45.1% (3,216 votes, official results). St. Joseph County: Trump 66.2%, Harris 32.3%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Three Rivers?
76 full-time and 45 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $334,244 (about $4.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Three Rivers in the state legislature?
State Senate District 17 (Jonathan Lindsey) and State House District 36 (Steve Carra). The House district also covers 37 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Three Rivers’ 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 →