Photo: Hgjudd · CC BY-SA 3.0Torch Lake Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar towns
Torch Lake Township’s town government spent $1.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, about $1,081 per resident.
What stands out about how Torch Lake Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,081 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them
Torch Lake Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,081 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 686 Michigan towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $275, and the middle half spent $193–$426. Torch Lake Township spent more than 96% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Michigan towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Torch Lake Township itself left out).
About $1,081 per resident a year, or $2.96 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: health & welfare, at 45%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Torch Lake Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,094 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.72% 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 Torch Lake Township’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 Torch Lake Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Torch Lake Township →
Who’s in charge in Torch Lake Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 593 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 (1,186).
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.
Elk Rapids Schools
Torch Lake Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Elk Rapids Township, Elk Rapids, Milton Township, Whitewater Township, Acme Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,921 per pupil, $8,146 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.
Central Lake Public Schools · $24,692 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Torch Lake Township voted in 2024
Official results for Torch Lake Township’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican51.0%524 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat47.5%488 votesOthers: 1.5% (15 votes).
Most votes in Torch Lake Township: Donald J Trump
Antrim County: Trump 61.3%, Harris 37.5% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Torch Lake Township’s 1,174 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican52.2%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat46.6%Most votes in Torch Lake Township: Mike Rogers
Antrim County: Rogers 60.6%, Slotkin 36.9% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Jack Bergman
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Torch Lake Township, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torch Lake Township | 51.0% | 47.5% | 1.5% | 1,027 |
| Antrim County | 61.3% | 37.5% | 1.3% | 16,883 |
| 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 Torch Lake Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal 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 Torch Lake Township compares with the towns next door
Torch Lake Township spent $1,081 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $229 to $632. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Banks Township | $229 | $1,962 |
| Central Lake Township | $252 | $1,812 |
| Forest Home Township | $491 | $2,797 |
| Milton Township | $632 | $3,710 |
| Torch Lake Township | $1,081 | $4,094 |
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 Torch Lake Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Torch Lake Township’s government
How much does Torch Lake Township spend per resident?
About $1,081 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,081 was more than 96% of 686 Michigan towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Torch Lake Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,094 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.72% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Torch Lake Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Torch Lake Township yet.
How did Torch Lake Township vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 51.0%, Kamala D Harris 47.5% (1,027 votes, official results). Antrim County: Trump 61.3%, Harris 37.5%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Torch Lake Township?
2 full-time and 38 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $24,025 (about $288,300 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Torch Lake Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 37 (John Damoose) and State House District 104 (J.R. Roth). The House district also covers 69 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Torch Lake Township’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 →