Michigan property tax by county

Property tax rate by county in Michigan

Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103 and B25077.

Why county rates vary so much

Property tax is set locally, not by the state, so the rate depends on the county, city, school district, and special districts where a home sits, and on how those local budgets compare to local home values. A county with low home values can still have a high effective rate if its local budgets are large, and a wealthy county can have a low effective rate. The effective rate shown here is the median tax bill divided by the median home value, which is the standard way to compare places; your own bill depends on your assessment and any exemptions.

For Michigan's income and retirement taxes, see Michigan income tax and Michigan retirement taxes.

How does Michigan assess homes for property tax?

Michigan assesses homes at 50% of market value, the same in every county.

Assessed value is 50% of true cash value, known as the State Equalized Value. Tax is charged on Taxable Value, which under Proposal A can rise only by the lesser of 5% or inflation each year until the home is sold, at which point it uncaps to the full 50%.

Is there a homestead exemption in Michigan?

The Principal Residence Exemption is not a dollar amount: it exempts your primary home from the local school operating millage, up to 18 mills. File Form 2368 with your assessor.

Other state relief for homeowners:

• Seniors and disabled owners: The Homestead Property Tax Credit is claimed on your Michigan income tax return rather than taken off the local bill. For 2025, total household resources must be $71,500 or less, the credit phases out above $62,500, taxable value must be under $165,400, and the maximum credit is $1,900. Seniors and totally disabled claimants get an enhanced version.
• Disabled veterans: A veteran who is permanently and totally disabled, or their unremarried surviving spouse, is fully exempt from property tax on their homestead. It is all or nothing, with no partial exemption, and since 2025 an approved exemption continues without reapplying each year.
• The Proposal A cap, which holds annual growth in Taxable Value to the lesser of 5% or inflation until the home changes hands, is the main ongoing relief for all Michigan homeowners.

Michigan sets these rules and each county's property tax office applies them, which is where the application, the filing deadline and the form come from. Some counties add programs of their own; where we have checked a county, its page lists them.

When are property taxes due in Michigan?

Two bills a year: a summer bill, commonly due mid-September, and a winter bill, commonly due mid-February. Exact dates are set by each city or township charter and do vary, so check with your local treasurer.

Michigan splits the bill into 2 installments. That is the state rule. Each county issues and collects its own bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.

How do you appeal a property assessment in Michigan?

You contest the assessed value with the Local Board of Review, then the Michigan Tax Tribunal. The filing deadline is typically July 31 for residential property (Tax Tribunal). Appeal first to the local March Board of Review. To take a residential assessment further, petition the Michigan Tax Tribunal by July 31 of the tax year; decisions from a July or December board carry a 35-day window.

Michigan property-tax rules from primary state sources (revenue department and statute), reviewed September 7, 2026. Exemption amounts and credits change; confirm the current figures with your county assessor. Sources: assessment, exemptions, due dates, appeals.