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City of Kentwood

Kent County

City of Kentwood is a city in Kent County, Michigan. In 2025, primary homes here pay a total of 39.22–41.99 mills in property tax, depending on the school district; rentals, second homes and businesses pay 57.22–59.99 mills. It levied property tax in 4 tax areas in 2025. In fiscal year 2025 it reported $111.4 million in spending across all its funds. It has 20 boards and sub-entities.

Total property tax rate, primary homes

39.22–41.99

mills in 2025 · 4 tax areas · about $6,382–$6,832 a year on a median home (estimate)

Total property tax rate, rentals, second homes and businesses

57.22–59.99

mills in 2025 · includes the school operating tax

Levies, 2025

2

in 4 tax areas

Boards and sub-entities

20

Total property tax rates here, 2025

What property pays to every taxing body (the State, county, schools, local government and others), by tax area. A mill is $1 of tax per $1,000 of taxable value.

Compare with every tax area in Kent County →

School district Primary homes mills Median home est. yearly tax Rentals, second homes and businesses mills
Kelloggsville Public Schools 41.9936 $6,832 59.9936
Forest Hills Public Schools 40.7246 $6,626 58.7246
Caledonia Community Schools 40.6863 $6,620 58.6863
Kentwood Public Schools 39.2228 $6,382 57.2228

Rates differ within the City of Kentwood because parts of it are in different school districts (Caledonia Community Schools, Forest Hills Public Schools, Kelloggsville Public Schools and Kentwood Public Schools).

Kent County's certified rates split each area's total between a summer and a winter tax bill; open an area below to see its split.

Primary homes, which their owners live in, pay the homestead rate; so do qualified farmland and a few other kinds of property exempt from the school operating tax. Rentals, second homes and most businesses pay the non-homestead rate, which includes it. What these terms mean

Median home, estimated: the yearly tax a new buyer would pay on a primary home at Kent County's median value, $325,400 (Census Bureau, 2024): half the value times the mills, divided by 1,000. An estimate, not a bill. How the estimate works

Every levy, by tax area

Kelloggsville Public Schools · 41.9936 primary homes, 59.9936 other

Billed in 2 parts, in mills: primary homes summer 34.8135, winter 7.1801; rentals, second homes and businesses summer 43.8135, winter 16.1801.

Levy Levied by Primary homes mills Median home est. yearly tax Rentals, second homes and businesses mills
Voted Operating City of Kentwood 9.2948 $1,512 9.2948
School Debt Kelloggsville Public Schools 7.3200 $1,191 7.3200
State Education Tax State of Michigan 6.0000 $976 6.0000
ISD Voted Special Education Kent ISD 4.3364 $706 4.3364
County Allocated Operating Kent County 4.0605 $661 4.0605
Allocated or Charter Operating City of Kentwood 2.8921 $471 2.8921
Community College Grand Rapids Community College 1.6793 $273 1.6793
Interurban Transit Partnership Interurban Transit Partnership 1.3817 $225 1.3817
Library Kent District Library 1.0832 $176 1.0832
Building and Site Kelloggsville Public Schools 0.9873 $161 0.9873
ISD Voted Vocational Education Kent ISD 0.9310 $151 0.9310
Jail Kent County 0.7417 $121 0.7417
Senior Citizens Kent County 0.4914 $80 0.4914
Zoo and Museum Kent County 0.4134 $67 0.4134
Ready by Five Kent County 0.2476 $40 0.2476
ISD Allocated Operating Kent ISD 0.0841 $14 0.0841
Veterans Kent County 0.0491 $8 0.0491
School Operating (Non-Homestead) Kelloggsville Public Schools 0.0000 $0 18.0000
Forest Hills Public Schools · 40.7246 primary homes, 58.7246 other

Billed in 2 parts, in mills: primary homes summer 34.1791, winter 6.5455; rentals, second homes and businesses summer 43.1791, winter 15.5455.

Levy Levied by Primary homes mills Median home est. yearly tax Rentals, second homes and businesses mills
Voted Operating City of Kentwood 9.2948 $1,512 9.2948
School Debt Forest Hills Public Schools 6.0500 $984 6.0500
State Education Tax State of Michigan 6.0000 $976 6.0000
ISD Voted Special Education Kent ISD 4.3364 $706 4.3364
County Allocated Operating Kent County 4.0605 $661 4.0605
Allocated or Charter Operating City of Kentwood 2.8921 $471 2.8921
Community College Grand Rapids Community College 1.6793 $273 1.6793
Interurban Transit Partnership Interurban Transit Partnership 1.3817 $225 1.3817
Library Kent District Library 1.0832 $176 1.0832
Extra Voted Millage Forest Hills Public Schools 0.9883 $161 0.9883
ISD Voted Vocational Education Kent ISD 0.9310 $151 0.9310
Jail Kent County 0.7417 $121 0.7417
Senior Citizens Kent County 0.4914 $80 0.4914
Zoo and Museum Kent County 0.4134 $67 0.4134
Ready by Five Kent County 0.2476 $40 0.2476
ISD Allocated Operating Kent ISD 0.0841 $14 0.0841
Veterans Kent County 0.0491 $8 0.0491
School Operating (Non-Homestead) Forest Hills Public Schools 0.0000 $0 18.0000
Caledonia Community Schools · 40.6863 primary homes, 58.6863 other

Billed in 2 parts, in mills: primary homes summer 34.1599, winter 6.5264; rentals, second homes and businesses summer 43.1599, winter 15.5264.

Levy Levied by Primary homes mills Median home est. yearly tax Rentals, second homes and businesses mills
Voted Operating City of Kentwood 9.2948 $1,512 9.2948
School Debt Caledonia Community Schools 7.0000 $1,139 7.0000
State Education Tax State of Michigan 6.0000 $976 6.0000
ISD Voted Special Education Kent ISD 4.3364 $706 4.3364
County Allocated Operating Kent County 4.0605 $661 4.0605
Allocated or Charter Operating City of Kentwood 2.8921 $471 2.8921
Community College Grand Rapids Community College 1.6793 $273 1.6793
Interurban Transit Partnership Interurban Transit Partnership 1.3817 $225 1.3817
Library Kent District Library 1.0832 $176 1.0832
ISD Voted Vocational Education Kent ISD 0.9310 $151 0.9310
Jail Kent County 0.7417 $121 0.7417
Senior Citizens Kent County 0.4914 $80 0.4914
Zoo and Museum Kent County 0.4134 $67 0.4134
Ready by Five Kent County 0.2476 $40 0.2476
ISD Allocated Operating Kent ISD 0.0841 $14 0.0841
Veterans Kent County 0.0491 $8 0.0491
School Operating (Non-Homestead) Caledonia Community Schools 0.0000 $0 18.0000
Kentwood Public Schools · 39.2228 primary homes, 57.2228 other

Billed in 2 parts, in mills: primary homes summer 33.4282, winter 5.7946; rentals, second homes and businesses summer 42.4282, winter 14.7946.

Levy Levied by Primary homes mills Median home est. yearly tax Rentals, second homes and businesses mills
Voted Operating City of Kentwood 9.2948 $1,512 9.2948
State Education Tax State of Michigan 6.0000 $976 6.0000
ISD Voted Special Education Kent ISD 4.3364 $706 4.3364
County Allocated Operating Kent County 4.0605 $661 4.0605
School Debt Kentwood Public Schools 4.0000 $651 4.0000
Allocated or Charter Operating City of Kentwood 2.8921 $471 2.8921
Community College Grand Rapids Community College 1.6793 $273 1.6793
Building and Site Kentwood Public Schools 1.5365 $250 1.5365
Interurban Transit Partnership Interurban Transit Partnership 1.3817 $225 1.3817
Library Kent District Library 1.0832 $176 1.0832
ISD Voted Vocational Education Kent ISD 0.9310 $151 0.9310
Jail Kent County 0.7417 $121 0.7417
Senior Citizens Kent County 0.4914 $80 0.4914
Zoo and Museum Kent County 0.4134 $67 0.4134
Ready by Five Kent County 0.2476 $40 0.2476
ISD Allocated Operating Kent ISD 0.0841 $14 0.0841
Veterans Kent County 0.0491 $8 0.0491
School Operating (Non-Homestead) Kentwood Public Schools 0.0000 $0 18.0000

Where the property tax goes here

Each tax area's total for primary homes, split by who levies it.

Of the $6,382–$6,832 a year a new buyer of a median primary home here would pay (an estimate), about $1,983 goes to the City of Kentwood (29–31%). The rest goes to the other bodies that levy here: the State, the county, the schools and others.

The City of Kentwood's 4 tax areas rank between 9th and 21st highest of Kent County's 94 for primary homes. See every area

  • State
  • County
  • ISD and college
  • School district
  • City, township or village
  • Library, transit and other
  • City of Kentwood Kelloggsville Public Schools 41.9936 mills $6,832

    City of Kentwood with Kelloggsville Public Schools: 41.9936 mills in total (State 6.0000, County 6.0037, ISD and college 7.0308, School district 8.3073, City, township or village 12.1869, Library, transit and other 2.4649), estimated $6,832 a year for a new buyer

  • City of Kentwood Forest Hills Public Schools 40.7246 mills $6,626

    City of Kentwood with Forest Hills Public Schools: 40.7246 mills in total (State 6.0000, County 6.0037, ISD and college 7.0308, School district 7.0383, City, township or village 12.1869, Library, transit and other 2.4649), estimated $6,626 a year for a new buyer

  • City of Kentwood Caledonia Community Schools 40.6863 mills $6,620

    City of Kentwood with Caledonia Community Schools: 40.6863 mills in total (State 6.0000, County 6.0037, ISD and college 7.0308, School district 7.0000, City, township or village 12.1869, Library, transit and other 2.4649), estimated $6,620 a year for a new buyer

  • City of Kentwood Kentwood Public Schools 39.2228 mills $6,382

    City of Kentwood with Kentwood Public Schools: 39.2228 mills in total (State 6.0000, County 6.0037, ISD and college 7.0308, School district 5.5365, City, township or village 12.1869, Library, transit and other 2.4649), estimated $6,382 a year for a new buyer

The figures as a table
Tax area State County ISD and college School district City, township or village Library, transit and other Total Estimated tax
City of Kentwood, Kelloggsville Public Schools 6.0000 6.0037 7.0308 8.3073 12.1869 2.4649 41.9936 $6,832
City of Kentwood, Forest Hills Public Schools 6.0000 6.0037 7.0308 7.0383 12.1869 2.4649 40.7246 $6,626
City of Kentwood, Caledonia Community Schools 6.0000 6.0037 7.0308 7.0000 12.1869 2.4649 40.6863 $6,620
City of Kentwood, Kentwood Public Schools 6.0000 6.0037 7.0308 5.5365 12.1869 2.4649 39.2228 $6,382

Median home, estimated: the yearly tax a new buyer would pay on a primary home at Kent County's median value, $325,400 (Census Bureau, 2024): half the value times the mills, divided by 1,000. An estimate, not a bill. How the estimate works

What City of Kentwood levies, 2025

Only its own millages, part of the totals above, and how many tax areas each is levied in.

Levy Primary homes mills Median home est. yearly tax Rentals, second homes and businesses mills Tax areas
Voted Operating 9.2948 $1,512 9.2948 4
Allocated or Charter Operating 2.8921 $471 2.8921 4

Median home, estimated: the yearly tax a new buyer would pay on a primary home at Kent County's median value, $325,400 (Census Bureau, 2024): half the value times the mills, divided by 1,000. An estimate, not a bill. How the estimate works

Money in and out, fiscal year 2025

From its annual financial report, as filed with the Michigan Department of Treasury. Its fiscal year ends in June.

Revenue

$135.4M

all funds

Spending

$111.4M

all funds

Spending per resident

$2,033

2024 population: 54,768

General fund spending

$40.6M

budget: $42.4M

Spending by purpose

All funds. Share of $111,353,678 in total.

  • Capital outlay, debt service and other $25,465,325 23%
    Capital Outlay $24,457,804
    Debt Service $222,799
    Depreciation $784,722
  • Public safety $24,329,999 22%
    Police/Sheriff/Constable $13,966,820
    Fire $9,275,960
    Building Inspection & Regulation Activities $1,039,328
    All Other Public Safety Activities $47,891
  • Public works $15,664,231 14%
    Public Works (Non-Act 51) $4,001,891
    Road Commission/Street Dept. (Act 51) $4,713,442
    Water and/or Sewer Systems $6,948,898
  • General government $8,861,995 8%
    Legislative (Council, Board, Commission) $402,512
    Chief Executive $536,902
    Treasurer $397,527
    Clerk $336,263
    Assessing Equalization $640,852
    Finance and Tax Administration $1,147,276
    Elections $170,818
    All Other General Government $5,229,845
  • Recreation and culture $3,049,105 3%
    Parks and Recreation $2,622,594
    Library $386,511
    All Other Recreation and Culture $40,000
  • Courts and judicial $2,364,754 2%
    District/Municipal Court $2,364,754
  • Community and economic development $1,010,997 1%
    Community Planning and Zoning $570,441
    Economic Development $440,556
  • Transfers out and special items $30,607,272 27%
    Transfers (Out) $30,607,272

Revenue by source

All funds. Share of $135,424,284 in total.

  • Taxes $34,451,573 25%
    Payment in-Lieu-of Taxes (PILOT) $480,393
    Trailer Taxes (Act 243 of 1959) $6,327
    Industrial Facilities Tax (Act 198 of 1974) $72,142
    Property Tax (includes, delinquent taxes, penalties, interest, fees, community wide special assessments) $33,892,711
  • State grants $17,621,505 13%
    State Revenue Sharing $6,284,994
    Public Safety $1,966,454
    Streets and Highways (Act 51) $7,277,574
    Streets and Highways (Non-Act 51) $236,679
    Culture and Recreation $742,640
    Other General/All Other State Aid Grants $1,113,164
  • Charges for services $9,914,483 7%
    All Other Services Rendered Charges $1,943,151
    All Other Sales, Use, & Admission Fees $7,967,832
    All Other Statutory Fees $3,500
  • Other revenue $7,601,901 6%
    Reimbursements $4,479,472
    Sale of Capital Assets $327,647
    Public and Private Contributions $226,506
    Refunds & Rebates $434
    Miscellaneous Other Revenue $2,567,842
  • Interest and rents $5,046,844 4%
    Interest & Dividends $4,804,429
    Rents & Royalties $242,415
  • Licenses and permits $2,567,376 2%
    Business Licenses and Permits $657,456
    Non-Business Licenses and Permits $1,909,920
  • Fines and forfeits $1,049,798 1%
    All Fines, Penalties & Forfeits $1,049,798
  • Federal grants $608,211 <1%
    Public Safety $608,211
  • Special assessments $221,494 <1%
    Special Assessments $221,494
  • From other local governments $199,670 <1%
    Public Safety $2,160
    Culture and Recreation $197,510
  • Borrowing and transfers in $56,141,429 41%
    Proceeds from Bond/Note Issuance $25,534,157
    Transfers In $30,607,272

"All funds" is the report's total column: the general fund, other governmental funds, enterprise funds such as water and sewer, internal service funds and component units. Its totals include money moved between the government's own funds, and revenue includes money borrowed. Spending per resident is total spending divided by the population shown; the shares are each heading's part of its total. Open a heading to see the lines filed under it.

Population: DashBoard_Metrics (MI Community Financial Dashboard), Michigan Department of Treasury.

Source: FY2025 F65 City, Michigan Department of Treasury, retrieved November 3, 2026.

Revenue and spending, fiscal years 2016–2025

All funds, as filed each year.

Revenue Spending
The figures as a table
Fiscal year Revenue Spending General fund spending Long-term debt
2025 $135,424,284 $111,353,678 $40,641,769 $28,189,339
2024 $93,614,676 $93,058,127 $38,183,619 $3,601,135
2023 $77,630,687 $77,810,372 $34,420,855 $4,606,019
2022 $93,235,341 $83,508,118 $39,180,153 $5,313,672
2021 $76,537,809 $69,250,445 $33,457,053 —
2020 $67,292,737 $65,580,952 $28,286,966 $12,362,014
2019 $73,095,344 $76,086,594 $29,766,495 $13,478,726
2018 $59,290,379 $56,955,019 $27,904,032 $14,803,672
2017 $57,979,844 $54,841,261 $27,433,897 $20,837,345
2016 $59,691,331 $58,226,762 $27,266,724 $17,953,672

Each year links to the dataset it comes from. A year with dashes across has no report in the State's data.

Debt, pensions and staff, fiscal year 2025

As reported in the same filing.

Debt and fund balance

Long-term debt at year end
$28,189,339
General fund balance at year end
$9,449,907
Of which unassigned
$8,479,598

Pensions and retiree health care

Unfunded pension liability
−$1,164,208
Pension funded, general employees
103%
Pension funded, police and fire
—
Unfunded retiree health care (OPEB)
—

Staff

Police
96
Fire
55
Combined public safety
—
All other staff
183
Wages and salaries
$22,834,869

A dash means the State's data has no figure for that line. Its datasets leave out zero amounts in most years, so a dash can also be a zero that was filed. The unfunded pension liability is the filing's "aggregate pension liability" line.

Source: FY2025 F65 City, Michigan Department of Treasury, retrieved November 3, 2026.

Boards and sub-entities

Authorities and special districts

Boards, commissions and committees

Transparency checks

What this body files with the State and posts online, checked against the law and good practice.

Grade pending

A grade appears once every check below has been read and the site has set its grading scale. Every check counts the same.

Required by law

7 found · 0 not found

  • Found: Audit filed with the State for the latest fiscal year

    Treasury's Document Search shows the audit for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as received, sent December 4, 2025.

    Uniform Budgeting and Accounting Act, MCL 141.421 et seq.; MCL 141.921 · FY2025 · Read September 27, 2026 from State records · Evidence for Audit filed with the State for the latest fiscal year

  • Found: Audit filed on time

    Sent December 4, 2025, within six months of the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 (due December 31, 2025; fiscal year end from its F-65).

    Due six months after fiscal year end; MCL 141.921 · FY2025 · Read September 27, 2026 from State records · Evidence for Audit filed on time

  • Found: Annual financial report (F-65) filed with the State

    Treasury's Document Search shows the annual financial report (F-65) for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as received, sent December 8, 2025.

    MCL 141.424(3) · FY2025 · Read September 27, 2026 from State records · Evidence for Annual financial report (F-65) filed with the State

  • Found: Annual financial report (F-65) filed on time

    Sent December 8, 2025, within six months of the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 (due December 31, 2025; fiscal year end from its F-65).

    Due six months after fiscal year end; MCL 141.424(3) · FY2025 · Read September 27, 2026 from State records · Evidence for Annual financial report (F-65) filed on time

  • Found: Retirement report (Form 5572) filed with the State

    Treasury's FY2025 status report (as of September 18, 2026) does not list it as "No Retirement Submission".

    PA 202 of 2017, MCL 38.2805 · FY2025 · Read September 26, 2026 from State records · Evidence for Retirement report (Form 5572) filed with the State

  • Found: FOIA procedures and written public summary posted

    The City Clerk's FOIA page (City Services > Clerk; the homepage has no FOIA link, found through the site search) links "Written Public Summary of FOIA Procedures & Guidelines" and "Complete FOIA Policy, Procedures and Guidelines".

    MCL 15.234(4) · Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for FOIA procedures and written public summary posted

  • Found: Retirement report information posted

    Financial Information & Transparency posts "MI Public Act 202 – 2025 Pension & OPEB Reports", its Form 5572 for the fiscal year ended June 2025 (opened 2026-09-27), with those for 2022 to 2024.

    MCL 38.2805(8) · FY2025 · Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Retirement report information posted

Good practice

7 found · 5 not found

  • Found: Current budget posted

    Finance > Financial Documents posts "Kentwood FY 2027 Budget for All Funds" for the fiscal year in progress (July 2026 to June 2027).

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Current budget posted

  • Found: Budgets for the past three years posted

    Financial Documents posts the FY 2026, FY 2025 and FY 2024 budgets for the General and Special Revenue Funds (and back to FY 2019).

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Budgets for the past three years posted

  • Found: Latest audit posted

    Financial Documents posts "City of Kentwood Financial Statement 6/30/2025" and earlier years.

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Latest audit posted

  • Not found: Budget posted as a spreadsheet or data file

    The budgets on Financial Documents are PDFs; no spreadsheet or data file was found (the Financial Transparency link goes to Munetrix, a third-party site).

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Budget posted as a spreadsheet or data file

  • Found: Regular meeting schedule for the year posted

    The City Commission page says it "generally meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month" and links "Approved City Commission Meeting Dates for 2026".

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Regular meeting schedule for the year posted

  • Found: Agendas posted for the past 12 months

    Agendas & Minutes posts City Commission agendas for 2026 meetings from April 13 to September 15 (among others), with archived years.

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Agendas posted for the past 12 months

  • Found: Minutes posted for the past 12 months

    Agendas & Minutes posts City Commission minutes through August 18, 2026, including February 17 to June 16 and August 10 and 18, with archived minutes for earlier years.

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Minutes posted for the past 12 months

  • Not found: Members' names and a way to contact them posted

    The City Commission page names the mayor and all six commissioners, but gives no email, phone or contact form for them; its only address, the mayor's, is given for committee applications.

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Members' names and a way to contact them posted

  • Not found: Check register (payments) posted

    No check register or payments list was found on the Finance pages (the Claims page is not a payments list).

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Check register (payments) posted

  • Not found: Employee pay or salary schedule posted

    Human Resources > Union Contracts posts the police (POLC) agreements and wage letters. The Local Officers Compensation Commission page says it recommends the mayor's, clerk's, treasurer's and commissioners' salaries but gives no amounts. A web search of the site (2026-09-27) found no other pay posted. Not found under the publisher's rule of 2026-09-27: G10 needs pay posted for every employee group and every elected official.

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Employee pay or salary schedule posted

  • Not found: Current contracts posted

    Purchasing > Bid Opportunities points vendors to MITN for open bids; no list of current contracts or contract in force was found (labor agreements count under G12).

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Current contracts posted

  • Found: Labor agreements posted

    Union Contracts posts the "2024-2027 POLC Patrol CBA", "2024-2026 POLC Captain CBA" and "2023-2026 POLC Supervisory Unit CBA", with letters of agreement.

    Read September 27, 2026 on its website · Evidence for Labor agreements posted

About

Type
City

Codes

Census of Governments ID
166713
Census GEOID (county subdivision)
2608142820
Census GEOID (place)
2642820
Michigan Treasury unit code
412050

Sources

Where this page's facts come from.

Open Government Project · a nonpartisan, nonprofit project

Every figure comes from a public record, cited on its page.