For buyers & sellers
Property Tax Estimator by City
Michigan property taxes are billed on taxable value — roughly half the purchase price in the year a home sells — multiplied by the local millage rate. Enter a price to compare the cities I work in.
Written by ShaNayta (Shay) McClain, Real Estate Agent with eXp Realty, based in Waterford, Michigan. Call or text (248) 270-8529.
Estimated taxable value: $137,500
Waterford Township
Oakland County- Primary home · ~34.5 mills
- $4,744
- about $395 / month
- Second home or rental · ~52.5 mills
- $7,219
- about $602 / month
Three school districts serve Waterford Township, so the total rate changes depending on which district a parcel falls in.
Clarkston / Independence Township
Oakland County- Primary home · ~31.5 mills
- $4,331
- about $361 / month
- Second home or rental · ~49.5 mills
- $6,806
- about $567 / month
Independence Township parcels may be in Clarkston, Lake Orion, or Waterford schools, which changes the total rate.
Southfield
Oakland County- Primary home · ~39.6 mills
- $5,445
- about $454 / month
- Second home or rental · ~57.6 mills
- $7,920
- about $660 / month
Southfield publishes summer and winter rates separately; the figure here combines both. Downtown Development Authority parcels can pay slightly more.
Pontiac
Oakland County- Primary home · ~49.5 mills
- $6,806
- about $567 / month
- Second home or rental · ~67.5 mills
- $9,281
- about $773 / month
Pontiac's total rate is among the higher ones in Oakland County. Rates differ by school district within the city.
Buying somewhere else in Michigan?
I'm licensed statewide, so this works for any Michigan city or township. Look up the total millage rate for that community on the State of Michigan millage list and enter it here.
- Primary home · 35 mills
- $4,813
- Second home or rental · 53 mills
- $7,288
Not sure of the rate? Call or text me at 248-270-8529 with the address and I'll look it up for you.
What "primary home" means here
If you live in the home as your main residence, you can file for Michigan's Principal Residence Exemption, which removes 18 school operating mills from your bill. A second home, a rental, or a home you haven't filed the exemption on pays the higher rate. The exemption is filed with the local assessor — it isn't automatic just because you bought the house.
Please read
These are rough estimates using approximate 2025 total millage rates, and they are not tax bills or quotes. Rates change every year and differ by school district inside the same city or township, so two houses on the same street can be taxed differently. Michigan also caps how fast taxable value grows for an existing owner, then "uncaps" it the year after a sale — which usually means the new owner's bill is higher than the seller's. For an official figure, use the State of Michigan property tax estimator or call the local assessor, and talk to a tax professional about your situation.
Questions? Let's talk it through.
Whatever these tools show you, call or text me and I'll walk you through your options personally — the real tax bill, a lender introduction, and what similar homes are selling for. No pressure, and no question is too small.