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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Otsego County, Michigan

Otsego County has an effective property tax rate of 0.80%. On the median home value of $219,700, that's roughly $1,755 per year. Median household income is $68,183.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
0.80%
median tax $1,755 ÷ median home $219,700
Median Home Value1
$219,700
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$68,183
per-capita $38,321
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$1,755
at 0.80% 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.

MetricOtsego CountyMichigan (state context)
Effective property tax rate10.80%1.09%
Median home value1$219,700—
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 Otsego County, MI

In Otsego County, Michigan, buying a home comes with a lighter tax load than much of the state. The median home value sits at $219,700, and the annual property tax bill on that median home runs about $1,755 — an effective rate of 0.799%. That's well below Michigan's statewide median of 1.087%, and it lands the county at 81st out of 83 counties for property tax rate, meaning only two counties in the state levy less. Nationally, the picture is closer: the U.S. median effective rate is 0.794%, so Otsego County tracks almost exactly with the country as a whole. For buyers looking around Gaylord, the county's largest community, household incomes here have a median of $68,183, with per-capita income at $38,321. Pairing those earnings with the area's home prices and tax bills gives prospective buyers a fairly balanced starting point.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Otsego County, MI?
The effective rate is 0.80% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 0.80% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($219,700), the estimated annual bill is about $1,755.
Is Otsego 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 Otsego 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 Otsego 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.