Bay County, Michigan property tax
The median homeowner in Bay County, Michigan pays $2,205 a year in property tax on a home worth $135,100, an effective rate of 1.63%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 1.63%, Bay County taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. Houses here are worth $135,100, below the national $303,400. Part of any high rate is arithmetic rather than policy: a smaller tax base has to be taxed harder to raise the same money.
Inside Michigan it is one of the most heavily taxed counties there is, ranking #3 of 82, against a statewide 1.28%. At the other end of the same state, Leelanau County charges 0.70%. A spread that wide inside one state is normal, because school districts, not states, set most of the levy.
The median home costs 2.23 times the median household income of $60,523, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 76.36% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. The county has 103,235 residents, which is small enough that the medians describe a reasonably coherent market.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Bay County | Michigan | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.63% | 1.28% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $2,205 | $2,795 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $135,100 | $217,600 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $809 | $1,084 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $60,523 | $71,149 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 2.23× | 3.06× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 16.04% | 18.28% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 76.36% | 72.92% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 103,235.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenawee County | 1.33% | $2,412 | $181,100 |
| Eaton County | 1.41% | $2,924 | $206,700 |
| Grand Traverse County | 0.98% | $2,900 | $296,200 |
| Lapeer County | 0.95% | $2,185 | $229,100 |
| Allegan County | 1.13% | $2,799 | $247,000 |
Bay County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Bay County, Michigan?
The effective rate is 1.63% of home value, from a median tax bill of $2,205 against a median home value of $135,100. That is 0.65 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Bay County?
Roughly $6,520 a year at the county effective rate of 1.63%.
Is Bay County expensive compared with the rest of Michigan?
It ranks #3 of 82 Michigan counties by effective property tax rate, and #250 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.35 points above the Michigan average of 1.28%.
What does housing cost in Bay County?
The median home is worth $135,100 and median gross rent is $809 a month. Median household income is $60,523, which puts the home at 2.23 times annual income and rent at 16.04% of it.