Michigan is Losing Residents, and They’re Moving to This State

I personally think Michigan is a great state. I've lived here almost my entire life, and other than the snow and ice in the winter, I can't find anything wrong with the Great Lakes State.

However, one Michigan city has made the list of the "Top 10 Metros Homebuyers Are Leaving" from Redfin.com. In the report, they state, "The share of Redfin.com users looking to move to a different metro area is near its record high as high rates and prices up the appeal of affordable places. Coastal Florida is especially popular, even after getting pummeled by Hurricane Ian." They add, "Nearly one-quarter (24.1%) of U.S. homebuyers looked to move to a different metro area in the three months ending in October, on par with the record high of 24.2% set in the third quarter. That’s up from roughly 18% in 2019, before the pandemic ushered in the remote-work era that gave many Americans more flexibility to relocate."

What's extra important if you're looking to buy a house is that the U.S. housing market has cooled a lot during the second half of 2022 due to high mortgage rates, inflation and other factors. The people who are still buying homes are relocating to new metros, according to the report. "Many are seeking relative affordability as near-7% mortgage rates and persistently high home prices make expensive parts of the country even more expensive," they state.

So, what's the deal with Michigan? Detroit is the No. 7 ranked metro that people are moving out of. And where are people moving to from Detroit? Cleveland, Ohio. The net outflow is 4,200, and the portion of local users searching elsewhere is 32%. I think Detroit is a fantastic city with so much to offer, so I don't really get it, but those are the hard facts. Still, don't count Detroit out. Read the full study here.

With the housing market still red hot and no end in site, chances are if you're buying a home, you're going to have to pay more than you were expecting. If that's the case, then you're going to want to make sure to purchase a house in a county with low property taxes, or at least not the highest ones.

So, which Michigan counties have the highest average property taxes? To find out, the crew at HRBlock.com has put together an extensive list of every Michigan county with their average property taxes. There's a huge discrepancy, with the lowest taxes being $901 and the highest at $4,079.

If you're wondering what "Real Property Tax" is, HRBlock.com explains that, "Real property tax is a system of taxation that requires owners of land and buildings to pay an amount of money based on the value of their land and buildings." They add, "While the federal tax brackets are the same across the board (based on your filing status), state real property taxes are a different story. Any individual who owns real property in Michigan is subject to Michigan real property taxes."

As for who owes property taxes in Michigan, according to HRBlock.com, if you own real property in Michigan, you have to pay taxes on it. "Even if the real property was gifted to you through an estate or you own a rental real property, you are still required to pay it," they add. "There is no minimum or maximum amount to pay on your real property in Michigan to pay real property taxes." Read on for the full list of the 25 Michigan counties with the most expensive average property taxes. We've also included information on the county with the lowest average income taxes at the bottom of the list. Best of luck with your home-buying search.

This list is via H&R Block.

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $1,845
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.91%

https://www.gc4me.com/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $1,819
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.51%

https://www.mijackson.org/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $1,898
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.48%

https://www.isabellacounty.org/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $1,975
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.32%

https://www.co.monroe.mi.us/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $1,949
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.44%

https://www.stclaircounty.org/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $1,946
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.14%

https://www.emmetcounty.org/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $1,944
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.89%

https://www.calhouncountymi.gov/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $1,934
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.57%

https://www.vanburencountymi.gov/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $1,903
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.30%

https://www.barrycounty.org/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $2,761
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 2.23%

https://www.ingham.org/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $2,681
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.23%

https://www.livgov.com/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $2,576
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.76%

https://www.kalamazoocity.org/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $2,570
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.75%

https://www.macombgov.org/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $2,521
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.53%

https://www.clinton-county.org/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $2,411
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.69%

https://www.eatoncounty.org/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $2,385
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.55%

https://www.accesskent.com/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $2,359
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 2.55%

https://www.waynecounty.com/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $2,364
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.41%

https://www.miottawa.org/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $2,348
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.28%

https://www.gtcountymi.gov/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $2,282
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.72%

https://www.co.midland.mi.us/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $2,244
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 0.90%

https://www.leelanau.gov/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $2,057
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.37%

https://www.allegancounty.org/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $2,011
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.61%

https://www.lenawee.mi.us/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $3,429
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.63%

https://www.oakgov.com/Pages/default.aspx

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $4,079
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.76%

https://www.washtenaw.org/

Median Annual Real property Tax Payment: $901
Average Effective Real property Tax Rate: 1.08%

https://oscoda.com/