Wolverine Lake spent less per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities
Wolverine Lake’s village government spent $3.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $771 per resident.
What stands out about how Wolverine Lake is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$771 per resident in 2022: less than 99% of them
Wolverine Lake’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($771 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 $1,684, and the middle half spent $1,333–$2,384. Wolverine Lake spent less than 99% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($620,000), 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; Wolverine Lake itself left out).
About $771 per resident a year, or $2.11 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Wolverine Lake reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,855 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.34% 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 Wolverine 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.
Tax bills are one input to Wolverine Lake’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wolverine Lake →
Who’s in charge in Wolverine Lake
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Wolverine Lake’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on wolverinelake.com ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 316 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 (4,745).
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.
Walled Lake Consolidated Schools
Wolverine Lake’s K–12 school district, shared with Walled Lake, Wixom, Commerce Township, West Bloomfield Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,733 per pupil, $9,588 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.
Wolverine Lake’s votes are counted by county
Michigan reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Wolverine Lake alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Oakland County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat54.3%419,519 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican43.7%337,791 votesOthers: 1.9% (14,835 votes).
Most votes in Oakland County: Kamala D Harris
Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
100% of Wolverine Lake lies in Oakland County. Every 2024 race in Oakland County is on the county’s page.
Oakland 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 Wolverine Lake.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: wolverinelake.com ↗
- 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 Wolverine Lake compares with the towns next door
Wolverine Lake spent $771 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,013 to $1,515. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Commerce Township | $1,013 | $3,951 |
| Walled Lake | $1,515 | $2,990 |
| Wolverine Lake | $771 | $3,855 |
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 Wolverine Lake’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Wolverine Lake’s government
How much does Wolverine Lake spend per resident?
About $771 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 $771 was less than 99% of 120 Michigan cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Wolverine Lake?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,855 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.34% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see wolverinelake.com.
Who runs Wolverine Lake’s government?
See wolverinelake.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wolverine Lake yet.
How did Wolverine Lake vote in 2024?
Michigan counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Wolverine Lake alone. Oakland County, where 100% of Wolverine Lake lies, voted Harris 54.3%, Trump 43.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Wolverine Lake?
15 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $87,796 (about $1.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Wolverine Lake in the state legislature?
State Senate District 23 (Jim Runestad) and State House District 51 (Matt Maddock). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Wolverine 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 →