Isabella County, Michigan property tax
The median homeowner in Isabella County, Michigan pays $2,180 a year in property tax on a home worth $165,100, an effective rate of 1.32%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 1.32%, Isabella County taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. That combination is the usual one. Houses here are worth $165,100 against a national $303,400, and a smaller tax base has to be taxed at a higher percentage to fund the same schools and roads. Whether the state also leans on property tax by choice, as several do in place of an income tax, is a separate question the rate alone cannot answer.
It ranks #19 of 82 Michigan counties by effective rate, against a statewide 1.28%, and #557 nationally. The state runs from 1.86% in Ingham County down to 0.70% in Leelanau County.
The median home costs 3.07 times the median household income of $53,759, close to the national 3.86. Incomes run below the national median, and house prices run below it too, which is what keeps the ratio ordinary. With 64,475 residents, the sample behind these medians is small, and the survey's own margins of error are correspondingly wider.
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
| Isabella County | Michigan | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.32% | 1.28% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $2,180 | $2,795 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $165,100 | $217,600 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $863 | $1,084 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $53,759 | $71,149 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 3.07× | 3.06× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 19.26% | 18.28% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 61.27% | 72.92% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 64,475.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barry County | 1.11% | $2,706 | $243,700 |
| Marquette County | 1.00% | $2,019 | $202,000 |
| Ionia County | 1.17% | $2,211 | $189,400 |
| Montcalm County | 1.08% | $1,851 | $172,100 |
| Shiawassee County | 1.35% | $2,214 | $164,600 |
Isabella County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Isabella County, Michigan?
The effective rate is 1.32% of home value, from a median tax bill of $2,180 against a median home value of $165,100. That is 0.34 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Isabella County?
Roughly $5,280 a year at the county effective rate of 1.32%.
Is Isabella County expensive compared with the rest of Michigan?
It ranks #19 of 82 Michigan counties by effective property tax rate, and #557 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.04 points above the Michigan average of 1.28%.
What does housing cost in Isabella County?
The median home is worth $165,100 and median gross rent is $863 a month. Median household income is $53,759, which puts the home at 3.07 times annual income and rent at 19.26% of it.