Michigan property tax calculator

The taxes on a listing are the seller's, and a sale changes them. Pick the city or township and school district to see what a home could cost in property tax the year after you buy, from Michigan Treasury's 2025 rates. It costs nothing, and we don't ask for your email.

Estimated property tax a year

$7,000

After a sale, on half the price, at the 2025 rate. An estimate, not a bill.

Taxable value after the sale, half the price: $175,000
Rate: 40.0000 mills
Property tax a year: $7,000
About a month, for escrow: $583

A sale uncaps the home's taxable value: the year after you buy, it resets to the state equalized value, about half of market value, so your taxes can be well above the seller's. Your assessor sets the real value, and rates change each year.

The year's total comes in two bills: summer taxes become a lien July 1 and winter taxes December 1, each with its own levies. Your first year is shared with the seller at closing; the full amount here starts the year after.

$7,000 uses the mills entered above, not a place's rate.

Have an agent check these numbers

How we figure it

Taxable value: The year after a sale, the home's taxable value resets to its state equalized value, about half of market value (MCL 211.27a). We use half the price.
Millage: The total of every levy on the home: county, city or township, schools, community college and others, in mills (dollars per $1,000 of taxable value). Michigan Treasury publishes each year's totals for every place and school district.
Principal residence: The home you live in is exempt from up to 18 mills of school operating tax once you claim the exemption on Form 2368 (MCL 211.7cc). A second home or a rental pays the non-homestead rate.
Two bills: The total comes as a summer bill and a winter bill. Which levies fall on which bill varies by place; the year's total is the same.
First year: The year you buy, taxes are split with the seller at closing (the buyer closing cost calculator shows it). The full amount here starts the year after.
Your assessor: Sets the real value each year, and rates change with every vote and rollback. Treat this as an estimate to plan with, and check the city or township's numbers before you commit.

A worked example

Illustrative example: a year's tax on a $300,000 home after a sale, as a principal residence, at each place's 2025 rates (a range where school districts differ).
Detroit	$9,628
Warren	$7,681 to $9,338
Sterling Heights	$5,839 to $6,502
Livonia	$5,618 to $6,185
Troy	$4,595 to $6,339
Southfield	$7,777 to $8,553
Farmington Hills	$5,919 to $6,431
Royal Oak	$5,694 to $6,414
Novi	$4,806 to $5,448
Canton Township	$5,932 to $6,289

Questions

How do you calculate property tax on a house you are buying in Michigan?

Take half of the price, which is about where the taxable value resets the year after a sale, multiply it by the total millage rate and divide by 1,000. A $300,000 home in a 45-mill area pays about $6,750 a year. Use the rate for the home's city or township and school district, with the principal residence exemption if you will live there.

Why will my taxes be higher than the seller's?

Michigan caps how fast a home's taxable value can rise while one owner has it. A sale lifts the cap: the year after you buy, the taxable value resets to the state equalized value, about half of market value (MCL 211.27a). After years of capped increases, the seller's taxable value can be far below that.

How much are property taxes in Warren, MI?

On a principal residence, Warren's 2025 total rates run from 51.20 to 62.25 mills, depending on the school district. On a $300,000 home after a sale, that is about $7,681 to $9,338 a year.

How much are property taxes in Troy, MI?

On a principal residence, Troy's 2025 total rates run from 30.63 to 42.26 mills. On a $300,000 home after a sale, that is about $4,595 to $6,339 a year.

What is the principal residence exemption?

It exempts the home you live in from up to 18 mills of local school operating tax (MCL 211.7cc). On a taxable value of $150,000, 18 mills is $2,700 a year. It is not automatic: you file Form 2368 with the city or township after you buy.

When are Michigan property taxes paid?

In two bills. Summer taxes become a lien on July 1 and winter taxes on December 1, and your city or township treasurer prints the due dates on each bill. At closing, the year's taxes are split between buyer and seller, and a lender usually collects them monthly in escrow.

Property tax rates by city and township

Each place's 2025 rates by school district, with and without the principal residence exemption.

Oakland County

Macomb County

Wayne County

Sources

Checked October 31, 2026.

Keep going

Have an agent check these numbers

A Raven agent will go over your figures against your home and your market, and tell you which lines to firm up. Your numbers come with this form.

Estimate only, from Treasury's 2025 total rates on half the price. Not a tax bill or an assessment; your assessor and treasurer have the real figures. General information, not legal or tax advice.