Clay Township property taxes & housing data
Clay Township is taxed at 25.2550 mills across 1 school district. That is 1.81 mills below the St. Clair County median and 7.35 mills below the Southeast Michigan median — the 10th lowest of 31 municipalities in the county, and 54 of 236 region-wide.
Rates by school district
| School district | Homestead | Non-homestead | $250,000 | $350,000 | $500,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algonac Community School District | 25.2550 | 43.2550 | $3,157 | $4,420 | $6,314 |
Homestead (PRE) applies to your primary residence. Non-homestead applies to rentals and second homes. Dollar columns are the annual bill at the uncapped taxable value — half the purchase price — at the homestead rate.
How Clay Township compares in St. Clair County
| Municipality | Lowest millage | Annual tax on $350,000 |
|---|---|---|
| China Township | 24.0554 | $4,210 |
| Burtchville Township | 24.5387 | $4,294 |
| Casco Township | 24.5978 | $4,305 |
| Riley Township | 25.0808 | $4,389 |
| Clay Township | 25.2550 | $4,420 |
| Lynn Township | 25.2617 | $4,421 |
| Wales Township | 25.7073 | $4,499 |
| Clyde Township | 25.7133 | $4,500 |
| Grant Township | 25.7171 | $4,500 |
← Riley Township (lower) · Lynn Township (higher) →
For sale in Clay Township right now
55 active listings in Clay Township — the 6 newest below. Remember: every one of them uncaps the year after closing, so the bill you should budget is the uncapped one above, not the seller's.
$549,900
7214 Cardinal ST · Clay Township
4 bd · 4 ba · 2,485 sqft
Listing courtesy of RE/MAX Advisors
$650,000
7244 Riverside DR · Clay Township
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,908 sqft
Listing courtesy of Keller Williams Realty Lakeside
$624,900
7321 Parklane DR · Clay Township
3 bd · 4 ba · 3,133 sqft
Listing courtesy of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Kee Realty NB
$424,900
9280 RIVER RD · Clay Township
4 bd · 2 ba · 2,248 sqft
Listing courtesy of RE/MAX First
$430,000
7302 Edlane Road · Clay Township
3 bd · 3 ba · 2,010 sqft
Listing courtesy of Keymark Realty
$320,000
8922 Stone RD · Clay Township
4 bd · 2 ba · 1,680 sqft
Listing courtesy of Sine & Monaghan Realtors LLC Algonac
IDX provided courtesy of Realcomp II Ltd. via Match Realty LLC and Greater Metropolitan Association of REALTORS, MiRealSource, Realcomp II Ltd, ©2026 Realcomp II Ltd. Shareholders. The accuracy of all information, regardless of source, is not guaranteed or warranted. All information should be independently verified. Listings refreshed 2026-11-02T23:11+00:00; refreshed at least twice daily.
Waterfront in Clay Township: St. Clair River · Lake St. Clair — recorded sale prices and all-sports status for each.
Compare Clay Township with another community
Clay Township has 6 side-by-side comparisons, 2 of them with a community that shares a school district — same schools, different bill. Dollar columns are the annual homestead bill on a $350,000 home at the uncapped taxable value, and the last column is the difference against Clay Township.
| Comparison | Their lowest millage | Annual tax on $350,000 | vs Clay Township |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay Township vs Algonac · same schools | 37.2823 | $6,524 | +$2,105 |
| Clay Township vs Ira Township · same schools | 27.5526 | $4,822 | +$402 |
| Clay Township vs Casco Township | 24.5978 | $4,305 | −$115 |
| Clay Township vs Wales Township | 25.7073 | $4,499 | +$79 |
| Clay Township vs Riley Township | 25.0808 | $4,389 | −$30 |
| Clay Township vs Lynn Township | 25.2617 | $4,421 | +$1 |
Look up, pay and appeal your Clay Township taxes
Clay Township bills twice a year. The summer bill is issued July 1 and the winter bill December 1; most communities make them due September 14 and February 14, and anything still unpaid on March 1 moves to the county treasurer as delinquent, with interest added monthly. Both bills are collected by the Clay Township treasurer, so the balance on a specific parcel is on the city or township site first (most of Southeast Michigan uses BS&A Online for this) and on the county site once it is late.
- St. Clair County property tax & maps search — parcel and tax search for Saint Clair County addresses.
- St. Clair County Treasurer — where a bill goes once it is delinquent: balances, payment plans and the hardship deferral.
- Estimate a bill before you look one up — the figure on the current owner's statement is capped; this gives you the uncapped one.
Appealing the assessment
Assessment notices go out in late February. If the assessed value is more than half of what the house would actually sell for, the appeal runs in two steps and the first one cannot be skipped: the March Board of Review in Clay Township (dates and the petition form are on the assessor's notice), then, if the board does not move, a petition to the Michigan Tax Tribunal by July 31 for residential property. The July and December boards do not re-value: they correct qualified errors (clerical mistakes, mutual mistakes of fact, a wrong principal residence exemption) and hear poverty exemptions. A successful appeal lowers the assessed value, not the millage — the 25.2550 mills above apply to whatever value stands after it.
A home bought this year is a special case: the taxable value uncaps to the assessed value next year regardless of the appeal, so the number to check on the first notice after closing is the assessed value against the price you paid.
What it's like to own in Clay Twp
Beyond the tax rate, three things shape what owning in Clay Twp actually costs: the age of the homes, what the water utility reports at the tap, and what local air testing has turned up. Each figure below carries the date of the survey it came from.
Housing stock
1976
average year built · 1,722 sqft average across 2,953 single-family homes
SEMCOG Buildings_2024
Radon
0.85 pCi/L
average across 22 home tests · 5% above the EPA 4 pCi/L action level — low. ZIPs 48001, 48028.
MDHHS indoor radon test results by ZIP
Lead is measured at the water system, not the house — it cannot tell you whether a specific property has a lead service line. Radon is a ZIP-level test distribution, not a prediction for any one home; the EPA recommends testing every home regardless. Screening information only.
Common questions
What is the property tax rate in Clay Township, Michigan?
Clay Township is taxed at 25.2550 mills for a homestead (principal residence) under the official 2025 Michigan Department of Treasury millage report. On a $350,000 home at the uncapped taxable value that is about $4,420 a year.
Does the tax rate change by address within Clay Township?
No. All of Clay Township sits in Algonac Community School District, so the millage is 25.2550 at every address in the municipality. Your bill still changes after you buy, because it is recalculated on the uncapped taxable value rather than the seller's capped one.
How much are property taxes on a $350,000 home in Clay Township?
About $4,420 a year at the homestead rate. Michigan taxes the taxable value, not the sale price, and after a sale that value uncaps to roughly half what you paid — so $350,000 is taxed on about $175,000.
Why is the tax bill on a Clay Township listing lower than what I would pay?
Because the figure on the listing is the seller's. Michigan caps annual taxable-value growth while an owner keeps the property, and that cap is removed the year after it sells. The longer the seller owned it, the further their bill sits below yours.
How does Clay Township compare with the rest of St. Clair County?
It is the 10 lowest of 31 municipalities in St. Clair County and 54 of 236 across the eight-county region — 1.81 mills below the county median.
How do I look up or pay my Clay Township property tax bill?
Summer and winter bills are collected by the Clay Township treasurer, so the balance on a parcel is on the municipality's own site (usually BS&A Online). Once a bill is delinquent — March 1 — it moves to the St. Clair County Treasurer, whose parcel search covers every address in the county.
How do I appeal my Clay Township property tax assessment?
Petition the Clay Township March Board of Review first — the dates are on the assessment notice mailed in late February — and, if that fails, the Michigan Tax Tribunal by July 31 for residential property. The board step is mandatory; the Tribunal will not hear a residential appeal that skipped it. An appeal changes the assessed value, not the millage (25.2550 mills).
Is down payment assistance available for homes in Clay Township?
Likely, but verify per program: 100% of the 31 Clay Township sales evaluated by Down Payment Resource over the last 12 months were flagged as potentially matching at least one assistance program. The flag is an indicator, not a promise — compare the programs and check your numbers.
What your Clay Township taxes become after you buy
Michigan taxable value uncaps the year after a sale and resets to roughly half the purchase price. The calculator below is already set to Clay Township — enter a price and the seller's current taxable value.
Uncapping calculator
When a Michigan home changes hands, its taxable value uncaps the following year and resets to roughly half the sale price. Buyers routinely get blindsided by a bill that's thousands higher than the listing showed. Here's your actual number.
What will your tax bill be after closing?
Your taxable value uncaps the year after closing and resets to roughly half the purchase price — so a $350,000 home is taxed on about $175,000, whatever the seller was paying. Enter the price and the current taxable value below.