Vanderbilt spent less per resident in 2022 than 86% of similar cities
Vanderbilt’s village government spent $238,000 on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2023, about $459 per resident.
What stands out about how Vanderbilt is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$547 per resident in 2022: less than 86% of them
Vanderbilt’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($547 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 $1,081, and the middle half spent $751–$1,663. Vanderbilt spent less than 86% of 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; Vanderbilt itself left out).
About $459 per resident a year, or $1.26 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 37%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 22% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Vanderbilt 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: $547 · 2023: $459. Per resident it went from $547 to $459 (down 16%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 558 to 518.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,067 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.88% 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 Vanderbilt’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 Vanderbilt’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Vanderbilt →
Who’s in charge in Vanderbilt
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Vanderbilt Area Schools
Vanderbilt’s K–12 school district, shared with Corwith Township, Hudson Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,821 per pupil, $9,884 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.
Vanderbilt’s votes are counted by county
Michigan reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Vanderbilt alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Otsego County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican67.0%10,693 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat31.6%5,052 votesOthers: 1.4% (226 votes).
Most votes in Otsego County: Donald J Trump
Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
100% of Vanderbilt lies in Otsego County. Every 2024 race in Otsego County is on the county’s page.
Otsego 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 Vanderbilt.
- 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.
Reach Vanderbilt’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Vanderbilt’s government
How much does Vanderbilt spend per resident?
About $459 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $547 was less than 86% of 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Vanderbilt?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,067 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.88% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.
Who runs Vanderbilt’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Vanderbilt yet.
How did Vanderbilt vote in 2024?
Michigan counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Vanderbilt alone. Otsego County, where 100% of Vanderbilt lies, voted Trump 67.0%, Harris 31.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Vanderbilt?
0 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2,819 (about $33,828 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Vanderbilt in the state legislature?
State Senate District 36 (Michele Hoitenga) and State House District 105 (Ken Borton). The House district also covers 56 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Vanderbilt’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 →