Property Tax in Washtenaw County, Michigan
Homeowners in Washtenaw County, Michigan pay a median of $5,505 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $353,000. Those are the Census Bureau's published medians for the county (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023) — the typical bill and the typical home value for owner-occupied households.
What the Washtenaw County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $5,505 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Washtenaw County, and $353,000 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 Washtenaw County is 1.56% (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 Washtenaw County
| Measure | Washtenaw County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $5,505 |
| Median home value | $353,000 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.56% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $459 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $1,559 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $6,236 |
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.
Washtenaw County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Michigan: #1 of 83 counties
- Median home value rank in Michigan: #2 of 83
- Population rank in Michigan: #6 of 83 (368,394 residents)
- Population density rank: #7 of 83 (522 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Michigan: #27 of 83 (706 sq mi, 1.2% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $459; per $1,000 of home value: $1.56
How Washtenaw County compares
The median tax bill in Washtenaw County is about 97% higher than the state median ($2,795 for Michigan) and about 85% higher than the US median ($2,969 nationally). By median taxes paid, the county ranks #1 out of 83 Michigan counties with published Census data — 0 counties in the state have a higher median bill.
Comparisons cut both ways: a county can have a modest rate but high bills because homes are expensive, or a high rate but modest bills because homes are cheaper. Washtenaw County's derived rate of 1.56% sits above the derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Washtenaw County: the median bill works out to about $459 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,559 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 368,394 people — the #6 most populous county in Michigan, spread over 706 square miles, a density of about 522 people per square mile. Its median home value, $353,000, ranks #2 among the state's 83 counties with data.
Nationally, Washtenaw County's median bill of $5,505 ranks #97 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 3% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 3.7% of Michigan's population, its median home value is about 62% above the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 15.59% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Washtenaw County to the most expensive county, Washtenaw County ($5,505), is $0 a year.
Counties nearest Washtenaw County in the Michigan ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland County, MI | $4,241 | $320,400 | 1.32% |
| Ingham County, MI | $3,488 | $187,500 | 1.86% |
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 1.56%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $1,559 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $6,236. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Checking your assessment in Washtenaw County
Believe your assessment is too high? The practical order of attack is: obtain your record card and audit it line by line; collect comparable recent sales in Washtenaw County; ask the assessor's office to correct anything plainly wrong; and, if the value still seems off, lodge a formal appeal ahead of the deadline printed on your assessment notice. Windows are short — often 30 to 90 days — and late appeals are usually rejected outright, however strong the case.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Washtenaw County, Michigan?
The median real estate tax paid in Washtenaw County, Michigan is $5,505 per year, on a median home value of $353,000 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Washtenaw County, Michigan?
On a derived basis, 1.56%: the county's median tax bill of $5,505 divided by its median home value of $353,000. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Washtenaw County compare with the rest of Michigan?
By median taxes paid, Washtenaw County stands at #1 among the 83 Michigan counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $5,505 median bill is about 97% higher than the state median ($2,795), and 0 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Washtenaw 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 Washtenaw County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $5,505 on a median home value of $353,000.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Washtenaw County, Michigan?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Washtenaw County assessor, verify its details, and compare the assessed value against similar homes that sold recently. If the value still seems too high, submit a formal appeal to the board named on your notice before the stated deadline — usually a 30-to-90-day window.