Which Michigan County Pays the Highest Property Taxes?

The path to homeownership is filled with hurdles, but those fortunate enough to reach that milestone know that it brings a whole new set of challenges. One of the only certainties in life, taxes, take on a new form at this point. Property taxes, to be specific.

Michigan actually has a tolerable cost of living compared to the rest of the United States. However, there are some areas that are simply more expensive to live in than others, for a variety of reasons.

When it comes to cities, it may not come as too big of a surprise that Detroit brings the highest property taxes of anywhere in the state. According to Axios, it's actually the highest in the country, edging out Newark, New Jersey, with a 3.21% rate for a median-valued home in 2022. This has much to do with the city's tax structure, which Mayor Mike Duggan is proposing to overhaul.

Despite Detroit's status, Wayne County is not the Michigan county with the highest property taxes.

The highest property taxes belong to Washtenaw County, where residents pay roughly $1,400 more in property taxes per year than Wayne County residents. With an average of $3,913.00 (or 1.81% of median home value) yearly in property taxes, Washtenaw is the 71st of the country's 3143 counties ranked in order of median property taxes according to tax-rates.org.

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Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan and a plethora of local attractions, is a fairly desirable place to live for folks, whether they're new to Michigan or not. Still, living in the shadow of the big block M of Michigan Stadium will come with some steep property taxes that nearly challenge Detroit.

The county with the lowest property taxes? Luce County, in the Upper Peninsula, has an average of $739 per year in property taxes for its residents, or 0.86% of the median home value.