McKinley School · Photo: kennethaw88 · CC BY 4.0Vassar spent more per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities
Vassar’s city government spent $4.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,586 per resident.
What stands out about how Vassar is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,567 per resident in 2022: more than 78% of them
Vassar’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,567 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–$2,347. Vassar spent more than 78% 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; Vassar itself left out).
About $1,586 per resident a year, or $4.35 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 34% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Vassar 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: $2,567 · 2024: $1,586.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,539 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.77% 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 Vassar’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 Vassar’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Vassar →
Who’s in charge in Vassar
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Vassar’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofvassar.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 180 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 (2,705).
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.
Vassar Public Schools
Vassar’s K–12 school district, shared with Vassar Township, Tuscola Township, Juniata Township, Denmark Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,109 per pupil, $9,309 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 Vassar voted in 2024
Official results for Vassar’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican65.5%873 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat33.2%442 votesOthers: 1.4% (18 votes).
Most votes in Vassar: Donald J Trump
Tuscola County: Trump 70.9%, Harris 27.9% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Vassar’s 2,091 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican62.2%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat34.3%Most votes in Vassar: Mike Rogers
Tuscola County: Rogers 68.0%, Slotkin 29.0% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Lisa McClain
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Vassar, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vassar | 65.5% | 33.2% | 1.4% | 1,333 |
| Tuscola County | 70.9% | 27.9% | 1.3% | 30,717 |
| 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 Vassar.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofvassar.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 Vassar compares with the towns next door
Vassar spent $2,567 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Vassar Township | $193 | $1,499 |
| Tuscola Township | $246 | $2,002 |
| Vassar | $2,567 | $2,539 |
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 Vassar’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Vassar’s government
How much does Vassar spend per resident?
About $1,586 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 $2,567 was more than 78% of 120 Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Vassar?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,539 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.77% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofvassar.org.
Who runs Vassar’s government?
See cityofvassar.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Vassar yet.
How did Vassar vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 65.5%, Kamala D Harris 33.2% (1,333 votes, official results). Tuscola County: Trump 70.9%, Harris 27.9%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Vassar?
15 full-time and 40 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $105,068 (about $1.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Vassar in the state legislature?
State Senate District 26 (Kevin Daley) and State House District 97 (Matt Bierlein). The House district also covers 35 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Vassar’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 →