Property Tax in Livingston County, Michigan
The median real estate tax bill in Livingston County, Michigan is $3,269 per year, and the median home is worth $331,100. Both figures are the US Census Bureau's survey medians for owner-occupied households (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What the Livingston County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $3,269 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Livingston County, and $331,100 is the middle home value. Neither figure describes a specific property — together they describe the typical homeowner's situation in the county.
The derived effective rate for Livingston County is 0.99% (median tax ÷ median value). Treat it as an estimate for comparison only: it comes from survey medians of different households, not from the county's rate schedule.
The key figures for Livingston County
| Measure | Livingston County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $3,269 |
| Median home value | $331,100 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.99% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $272 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $987 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $3,948 |
For context, the Michigan medians are $2,795 of tax on $217,600 of value, and the US medians are $2,969 on $303,400. *Derived figures are estimates from Census medians, not official rates.
Livingston County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Michigan: #6 of 83 counties
- Median home value rank in Michigan: #3 of 83
- Population rank in Michigan: #10 of 83 (195,143 residents)
- Population density rank: #11 of 83 (345 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Michigan: #47 of 83 (565 sq mi, 1.0% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $272; per $1,000 of home value: $0.99
How Livingston County compares
Of the 83 Michigan counties with published data, 5 have a higher median property tax bill than Livingston County's $3,269, putting the county at #6 in the state. Its bill is about 17% higher than the state median of $2,795 and about 10% higher than the national median of $2,969.
Rates and values pull in opposite directions: an expensive housing market can produce big bills at ordinary rates. Here the derived rate is 0.99%, versus 0.98% derived nationally, and the median home value ranks #3 within Michigan.
Some extra context for Livingston County: the median bill works out to about $272 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $987 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 195,143 people — the #10 most populous county in Michigan, spread over 565 square miles, a density of about 345 people per square mile. Its median home value, $331,100, ranks #3 among the state's 83 counties with data.
Nationally, Livingston County's median bill of $3,269 ranks #375 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 12% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 1.9% of Michigan's population, its median home value is about 52% above the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 9.87% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Livingston County to the most expensive county, Washtenaw County ($5,505), is $2,236 a year.
Counties nearest Livingston County in the Michigan ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo County, MI | $3,378 | $227,500 | 1.49% |
| Macomb County, MI | $3,293 | $231,400 | 1.42% |
| Ottawa County, MI | $3,078 | $291,200 | 1.06% |
| Clinton County, MI | $3,048 | $243,700 | 1.25% |
Livingston County and its population peers
Population is a useful lens on these figures, so the table below sets Livingston County beside the counties closest to it in population anywhere in the country — communities of a similar scale operating under different state and local tax systems. Ranked by median tax paid within this peer group of 9, Livingston County's $3,269 bill is #6 of 9.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broome County, NY | 197,738 | $3,824 | $145,100 | 2.63% |
| Racine County, WI | 196,888 | $4,071 | $239,400 | 1.70% |
| Butler County, PA | 195,870 | $2,950 | $275,600 | 1.07% |
| Sangamon County, IL | 195,217 | $3,369 | $170,300 | 1.98% |
| Charlotte County, FL | 195,083 | $2,581 | $291,000 | 0.89% |
| Sarpy County, NE | 194,051 | $5,157 | $287,600 | 1.79% |
| Santa Rosa County, FL | 193,719 | $1,809 | $302,100 | 0.60% |
| El Dorado County, CA | 192,299 | $4,510 | $640,500 | 0.70% |
The closest population match is Charlotte County, Florida (195,083 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $2,581 on a median home value of $291,000 — $688 more than Livingston County pays.
Staying within Michigan, the counties nearest Livingston County by population are Ingham County (282,015 residents, median tax $3,488 on a median value of $187,500); Kalamazoo County (261,437 residents, median tax $3,378 on a median value of $227,500); Saginaw County (189,210 residents, median tax $2,190 on a median value of $139,400); Muskegon County (175,378 residents, median tax $2,280 on a median value of $180,900). The spread in their median bills — all under the same state framework — shows how much of the property tax burden is decided county by county and district by district.
How the tax is worked out
The bill is built in stages. First the assessor puts a market value on the property. Exemptions — a homestead exemption above all — then reduce the taxable amount. Finally the combined local rate is applied. To see the scale: at the county's derived rate of 0.99%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $987 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $3,948. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Illustrative bills in Livingston County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 0.99% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Livingston County — and a quick way to compare with the state derived rate of 1.28% and the US figure of 0.98%:
| Home value | Illustrative tax / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $1,480 | $123 |
| $250,000 | $2,468 | $206 |
| $350,000 | $3,454 | $288 |
| $500,000 | $4,935 | $411 |
| $750,000 | $7,402 | $617 |
Illustration only: real bills are computed from the assessed value, exemptions, and the combined rates of the property's actual taxing districts.
Checking your assessment in Livingston County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Livingston County assessor: wrong square footage, an extra room, or a missing homestead exemption are common and fixable. Next, line your assessed value up against recent sales of genuinely similar homes nearby. Many disputes end at an informal conversation with the assessor's office; if yours does not, file the formal appeal with the review board named on your notice before its deadline, evidence attached, and keep paying the bill in the meantime so penalties do not build up.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Livingston County, Michigan?
The median real estate tax paid in Livingston County, Michigan is $3,269 per year, on a median home value of $331,100 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Livingston County, Michigan?
The derived effective rate is 0.99% — the median bill ($3,269) expressed as a share of the median home value ($331,100). No authority sets a rate this way; it exists to make counties with different home prices comparable.
How does Livingston County compare with the rest of Michigan?
By median taxes paid, Livingston County stands at #6 among the 83 Michigan counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $3,269 median bill is about 17% higher than the state median ($2,795), and 5 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Livingston County, Michigan?
The assessor estimates your property's market value; exemptions (such as a homestead exemption) reduce the taxable amount; and the result is multiplied by the combined rates of the local taxing districts — county, municipality, school district and any special districts. In Livingston County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $3,269 on a median home value of $331,100.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Livingston County, Michigan?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Livingston County assessor's property record card for your home, correct any factual errors, and back your case with comparable recent sales. Formal appeals go to the review board named on your assessment notice and must be filed by its deadline, typically within 30 to 90 days.