Property tax by ZIP code in Michigan
Enter a Michigan ZIP and see the median property tax paid, median home value, and effective tax rate from the 2020–2024 American Community Survey — plus how it compares to the Michigan state median.
Look up a Michigan ZIP code
Enter a 5-digit Michigan ZIP code above to see its property tax data.
ZIP doesn't have ACS data — typically because it's a PO-box-only ZIP, a single-business ZIP, or a small area where the Census suppresses small-sample estimates. Try a nearby ZIP.
ZIP isn't a Michigan ZIP code. This page covers Michigan only. Other states are launching state by state — check back, or use our state-by-state median page in the meantime.
Michigan property tax is assessed locally — by city and township assessors — and rests on two different values. Each year the assessor sets your home's Assessed Value at 50% of True Cash Value (market value), which becomes the State Equalized Value after county equalization. But your bill is levied on a separate Taxable Value, whose annual growth Proposal A caps at the lesser of 5% or inflation — so the longer you own, the further your taxable base can fall below market. The two values reconverge only when the home sells and "uncaps."
Enter a 5-digit Michigan ZIP to see its median property tax, median home value, and effective rate from the US Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 vintage, plus how the ZIP compares to the Michigan state and US national medians. The explainer below covers the Principal Residence Exemption and other relief, why Michigan's effective rate runs near 1.25%, and the methodology behind the comparison rates.
How Michigan property tax works
Michigan assesses property locally, through city and township assessors. Each year the assessor estimates your home's True Cash Value (market value) and sets the Assessed Value at 50% of that figure; after county equalization it becomes the State Equalized Value (SEV). But since Proposal A took effect in 1994, your bill is calculated on a separate Taxable Value, not the SEV. Taxable Value can rise each year by only the lesser of 5% or inflation, so in an appreciating market it drifts below the SEV the longer you hold the home. When the property is sold it "uncaps" — Taxable Value resets to the SEV the following year — which is why a new buyer often feels a "pop-up" in the bill relative to what the seller paid.
The core relief program is the Principal Residence Exemption (PRE): a home you own and occupy as your principal residence is exempt from up to 18 mills of local school operating tax. Important caveat — the PRE does not wipe out all school taxes: the 6-mill State Education Tax still applies to a PRE home. Income-qualified owners can also claim the Homestead Property Tax Credit on the state income-tax return (for tax year 2024, a maximum credit of $1,800, phasing out as household resources rise). Honorably-discharged 100%-disabled veterans can qualify for a full Disabled Veterans Exemption; under PA 150–152 of 2023, beginning January 1, 2025 an approved exemption continues without annual reapplication.
Why does Michigan's effective rate land near 1.25% — above the national average — even with the Proposal A cap? Two structural reasons. The Headlee Amendment rolls millage back only when a unit's taxable base grows faster than inflation, so authorized rates stay high; and homes typically sit inside several overlapping local units — county, city or township, school district, library, and more — each levying its own authorized millage. Those millages stack, pushing the combined local rate above the national average.
Why your actual bill differs
The numbers above describe a typical homeowner in this ZIP — not your specific bill. A few things move bills away from the median:
- Taxable Value vs. market value. Your bill is levied on the Proposal A–capped Taxable Value, which can sit well below your home's market value if you've owned for years — or jump to the SEV the year after you buy, when the property uncaps.
- The Principal Residence Exemption. A PRE removes up to 18 mills of local school operating tax from a home you own and occupy — though the 6-mill State Education Tax still applies, so it isn't a full school-tax exemption.
- Stacked local millages. Overlapping county, township or city, school, and library millages differ from place to place, so two identical homes in different jurisdictions can pay very differently.
To project a bill from a taxable value and local millage, start with the Michigan Treasury's Property Tax Estimator. For your actual current bill, contact your local city or township treasurer — Michigan has no statewide bill-payment portal.
Methodology
Data on this page comes from the US Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 vintage (released January 29, 2026), at the ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) level. After filtering ZCTAs the Census suppresses for privacy or small-sample reasons, this page covers 956 Michigan ZIPs.
Michigan topcoding. The Census caps median property tax at $10,000 — median tax appears as $10,001 for any ZIP where the true median is at or above the cap. Topcoding is rare in Michigan; at most an isolated high-value ZIP reaches it, and for any such ZIP the effective-rate calculation is a floor estimate, not an exact value.
See the full methodology page for source details (Census table IDs, the comparison-median rule, calculator formulas), how we handle topcoding across every state, and the refresh cadence.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the median tax in my ZIP different from what I pay?
Median is the middle of the distribution, not your bill. Michigan taxes Proposal A–capped Taxable Value, so a long-time owner and a recent buyer on the same street can pay very differently on identical homes. The Principal Residence Exemption, the Homestead Property Tax Credit, and local millage differences shift your bill away from the ZIP median in either direction.
Why does my ZIP show $10,001 as the median tax?
That's the Census topcode. The ACS reports property-tax responses above $10,000 as $10,001 to protect privacy, so the true median is at least $10,000 — often higher. Topcoding is rare in Michigan; only an isolated high-value ZIP tends to reach the cap.
Where do I find my actual Michigan property tax bill?
Michigan Treasury's Property Tax Estimator projects a bill from your taxable value and local millage, but the live bill comes from your local city or township treasurer — there's no statewide payment portal.
When does Michigan data update on this page?
Annually, when the Census Bureau releases a new ACS 5-year vintage. The 2020–2024 vintage released January 29, 2026. The next vintage (2021–2025) typically follows the next year, though the Census has not yet posted its release date.
Why don't you cover other states yet?
State-by-state rollout. Each state needs its own context section (assessment method, exemptions, local taxing structure) to be genuinely useful. High-search-volume states are going live first.