Here are some recent facts and figures that will provide understanding on both the small-scale impact as well as the “big picture” of how U-M is contributing to and taking pride in our home city and state.
City Land and services:
- U-M owned property takes up 9.2 percent of the land within the City of Ann Arbor. For comparison, Ann Arbor parks and open spaces comprise 11.6 percent of the city.
- U-M paid Ann Arbor just over $14 million for water and sewer service in 2022.
- The University has its own Police Department and the City of Ann Arbor receives about $1 million a year from the State of Michigan to assist in providing fire protection services. Additionally, Fire Station #5 serving northeast Ann Arbor is located on campus and provided by the University rent and maintenance free.
- The University does not pay property taxes on its land and facilities. However, the University does lease local privately owned office, clinical and storage space. Through those lease payments, U-M pays an estimated $3 million in property taxes each year.
Construction and Roads:
- During construction projects, U-M often “rents” portions of the sidewalk and/or streets from the City of Ann Arbor. With no services provided, these payments have averaged over $285,000 per year over the last decade.
- U-M frequently contributes up to one half of the cost of the reconstruction or resurfacing of local streets adjacent to campus. In some instances the University has covered 100 percent of the costs.
Local economy:
- City of Ann Arbor tax base (and its tax revenues) grew at a rate far greater than comparable cities in Michigan between 2013 and 2021. This period coincided with an increase of over 6,000 new jobs created at the University.
- Aside from the thousands of jobs and additional payroll circulated throughout the community, the University’s research activities generate new socially beneficial discoveries and create new “spin out” companies at a rate of one new private company every month. Further, 60 percent of new companies launched by U-M in the last twelve years have remained in the Ann Arbor area.
- While almost every intercollegiate athletic contest held on campus generates visitor spending, the most notable is of course football where every home game generates almost $12 million in local spending (per Destination Ann Arbor).
- Destination Ann Arbor (formerly Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau) reports 59 percent of all visitors to the Ann Arbor area, with their related local spending, are coming for a reason associated with the University of Michigan.
- Student discretionary spending (excluding groceries and housing) is estimated at $94.9 million/year.
Community:
- Through the annual United Way associated campaign, University and Michigan Medicine staff and faculty pledge about $1.2 million each year to support health and human service agencies and needs throughout the community.
- The U-M Health System – Meals on Wheels program provided 120,000 meals to 384 clients in 2021.
- Meals on Wheels volunteers provided approximately 11,000 hours of service.
- Across the state, Michigan Medicine provided more than $737 million worth of community benefit services in FY 2022 including more than $469 million in charity care and other uncompensated and unreimbursed care from our hospitals and health centers.
- Over the last few years, through the Regional Alliance for Healthy Schools, the U-M Health System provided free medical care to an average of 3,500 area youth.
Source and background material for facts and figures presented here can be obtained by contacting the Community Relations office at (734) 763-3109 or emailing [email protected]
