County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Kalkaska County, Michigan

Kalkaska County has an effective property tax rate of 0.87%. On the median home value of $188,900, that's roughly $1,646 per year. Median household income is $68,578.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
0.87%
median tax $1,646 ÷ median home $188,900
Median Home Value1
$188,900
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$68,578
per-capita $34,934
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$1,646
at 0.87% effective rate

What you'll pay, at a glance

Property taxes are the largest local tax most homeowners pay. The effective rate measures the real tax bill as a share of home value — a more useful number than the nominal “mill rate,” because assessment practices vary county to county.

MetricKalkaska CountyMichigan (state context)
Effective property tax rate10.87%1.09%
Median home value1$188,900
State income tax3top rate 4.25%top rate 4.25%
State sales tax36.00% combined6.00% combined

How this is calculated

The effective property tax rate is the median real-estate tax bill divided by the median home value — both for owner-occupied homes, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-year estimates)1. Median income is also from the ACS1. Federal and state income-tax figures use IRS2 and Tax Foundation3 data.

About Kalkaska County, MI

Kalkaska County’s effective property tax rate of 0.871% sits below Michigan’s statewide median of 1.087%, and the county ranks 76th out of 83 on that measure. Against the national median of 0.794%, however, it runs slightly higher. The gap with the state average is the more telling figure: homeowners here pay less of their property’s value each year than in most Michigan counties. A median home value of $188,900 produces a median annual tax bill of $1,646. With median household income at $68,578 and per-capita income at $34,934, that bill amounts to a smaller share of earnings than it would at the state’s typical rate. Kalkaska, the county seat and largest community, anchors a rural area where property taxes take a comparatively restrained bite.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Kalkaska County, MI?
The effective rate is 0.87% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 0.87% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($188,900), the estimated annual bill is about $1,646.
Is Kalkaska County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 1.09% and the national average near 1.1%.
How does the effective rate differ from my mill rate?
A mill rate is the nominal levy per $1,000 of assessed value. The effective rate reflects what you actually pay after exemptions and assessments — it's the median tax bill as a share of median home value, so it better predicts your real cost.
Will a reassessment raise my tax bill?
Not necessarily. If your home's assessed value rises, your bill can go up, but only if the mill rate and exemptions stay flat. Contact the Kalkaska County assessor's office to review your current assessment.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment?
Yes. Most counties allow an appeal when you believe the assessed value exceeds the market value. File with the Kalkaska County assessor within the local deadline, typically with comparable sales as evidence.
Sources
[1] U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2023) — Median home value (B25077), median real-estate taxes (B25103), median household income (B19013), per-capita income (B19301).
[2] IRS — Statistics of Income — County income, AGI, and real-estate taxes paid.
[3] Tax Foundation — State income, sales, corporate, and estate/inheritance tax rates.