Property tax in Clare County, Michigan
The median property tax bill in Clare County, Michigan is $1,489 a year, which is about 1.11% of the county's median home value of $133,800. That effective rate is higher than the typical Michigan county (1.09%) and higher than the national median (0.81%). These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024); your own bill depends on your home's assessed value and any exemptions.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Clare County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Clare County's average effective rate of 1.11% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $1,485 / year
Property tax in Clare County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $1,489 |
| Median home value | $133,800 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.11% |
| Typical Michigan county rate | 1.09% |
| National median county rate | 0.81% |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
How does Clare County compare in Michigan?
Among Michigan's 83 counties, Clare County has the 38th highest effective property-tax rate: 37 rank higher and 45 rank lower. That is near the middle for Michigan. Nationally, it ranks 876th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Michigan county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Clare County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Clare County's 10,878 owner-occupied homes, 15.4% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 31.9% pay at least $2,000, and 17.2% pay under $800. Another 6.5% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 1,866 | 17.2% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 3,267 | 30% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 1,557 | 14.3% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 1,799 | 16.5% |
| $3,000 or more | 1,677 | 15.4% |
| No property tax paid | 712 | 6.5% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,683 and owners without one pay $1,336. Owners who have paid off a home have usually held it longer, and in states that cap how fast an existing owner's assessment can rise, long-held homes carry lower assessed values. Census table B25103.
How does the Clare County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $1,489 is about 2.8% of the median income of Clare County homeowner households, $53,416 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 86.9% of Clare County's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.
Have property taxes gone up in Clare County?
Yes. The median bill went from $1,212 in 2015-2019 to $1,489 in 2020-2024, a 22.9% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 46.9%, from $91,100 to $133,800. Bills rose more slowly than values, which is what assessment caps and falling millage rates do: the county is taxing a smaller share of each home's worth.
Two Census ACS 5-year periods with no survey years in common, in each period's own dollars. A change counts only if it exceeds the combined 90% margin of error.
Property tax in counties next to Clare County
Clare County borders 7 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midland County, MI | 1.47% | $2,875 | $195,400 |
| Isabella County, MI | 1.34% | $2,276 | $170,400 |
| Gladwin County, MI | 1.15% | $1,867 | $162,300 |
| Clare County, MI (this county) | 1.11% | $1,489 | $133,800 |
| Osceola County, MI | 1.02% | $1,584 | $155,400 |
| Roscommon County, MI | 1.01% | $1,604 | $158,700 |
| Mecosta County, MI | 0.99% | $1,778 | $178,900 |
| Missaukee County, MI | 0.98% | $1,675 | $170,400 |
How is a home assessed in Clare County?
Michigan assesses homes at 50% of market value in every county, Clare County included. How Michigan assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Clare County?
Yes, but not as a dollar amount. Michigan's Principal Residence Exemption exempts your primary home from the local school operating millage, up to 18 mills. File Form 2368 with your assessor. That is the Michigan rule, and it applies in Clare County. Michigan's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Clare County?
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 Michigan rule. Clare County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Clare County property assessment
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). That is the Michigan rule; Clare County sets the exact dates and forms. The Michigan appeal process step by step.
Michigan rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Michigan page.
Work out your own numbers
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How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Clare County's tax rate to hand.
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Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
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Michigan income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Michigan actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Clare County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Clare County, Michigan: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103, B25077, B25102, B25119 and B25003; the five-year comparison uses the 2015-2019 estimates. Neighboring counties: Census county adjacency file.