Detroit property taxes & housing data
Detroit is taxed at 64.1844 mills across 1 school district. That is 14.10 mills above the Wayne County median and 31.58 mills above the Southeast Michigan median — the 40th lowest of 43 municipalities in the county, and 233 of 236 region-wide.
Rates by school district
| School district | Homestead | Non-homestead | $250,000 | $350,000 | $500,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit City School District | 64.1844 | 82.1844 | $8,023 | $11,232 | $16,046 |
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 Detroit compares in Wayne County
| Municipality | Lowest millage | Annual tax on $350,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Trenton | 56.5996 | $9,905 |
| Southgate | 58.4267 | $10,225 |
| Melvindale | 60.0462 | $10,508 |
| Highland Park | 63.2210 | $11,064 |
| Detroit | 64.1844 | $11,232 |
| Harper Woods | 69.1266 | $12,097 |
| Ecorse | 71.6508 | $12,539 |
| River Rouge | 73.6904 | $12,896 |
← Highland Park (lower) · Harper Woods (higher) →
For sale in Detroit right now
2,778 active listings in Detroit — 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.
$139,999
6222 Grandville AVE · Detroit
3 bd · 1 ba · 960 sqft
Listing courtesy of Got Key'D Realty
$329,500
509 Englewood ST · Detroit
4 bd · 3 ba · 1,950 sqft
Listing courtesy of Crain Homes
$94,999
13001 Corbett ST · Detroit
4 bd · 2 ba · 1,138 sqft
Listing courtesy of JP Dwellings
$139,000
10547 McKinney ST · Detroit
3 bd · 1 ba · 1,125 sqft
Listing courtesy of KW Metro
$25,000
16643 Cruse ST · Detroit
4 bd · 1 ba · 1,480 sqft
Listing courtesy of Bellabay Realty Tri Counties
$40,000
19143 Avon AVE · Detroit
2 bd · 1 ba · 752 sqft
Listing courtesy of Bellabay Realty Tri Counties
IDX provided courtesy of Realcomp II Ltd. via Match Realty LLC and 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 2026-11-03T10:57+00:00; refreshed at least twice daily.
Waterfront in Detroit: Detroit River — recorded sale prices and all-sports status for the lake.
Compare Detroit with another community
Detroit has 4 side-by-side comparisons. 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 Detroit.
| Comparison | Their lowest millage | Annual tax on $350,000 | vs Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit vs Ecorse | 71.6508 | $12,539 | +$1,307 |
| Detroit vs Harper Woods | 69.1266 | $12,097 | +$865 |
| Detroit vs Melvindale | 60.0462 | $10,508 | −$724 |
| Detroit vs Highland Park | 63.2210 | $11,064 | −$169 |
Look up, pay and appeal your Detroit taxes
Detroit 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 Detroit 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.
- Wayne County tax lookup (pta.waynecounty.com) — parcel and tax search for Wayne County addresses.
- Wayne 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 Detroit (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 64.1844 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.
Common questions
What is the property tax rate in Detroit, Michigan?
Detroit is taxed at 64.1844 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 $11,232 a year.
Does the tax rate change by address within Detroit?
No. All of Detroit sits in Detroit City School District, so the millage is 64.1844 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 Detroit?
About $11,232 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 Detroit 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 Detroit compare with the rest of Wayne County?
It is the 40 lowest of 43 municipalities in Wayne County and 233 of 236 across the eight-county region — 14.10 mills above the county median.
How do I look up or pay my Detroit property tax bill?
Summer and winter bills are collected by the Detroit 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 Wayne County Treasurer, whose parcel search covers every address in the county.
How do I appeal my Detroit property tax assessment?
Petition the Detroit 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 (64.1844 mills).
Is down payment assistance available for homes in Detroit?
Likely, but verify per program: 100% of the 4,005 Detroit 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 Detroit 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 Detroit — 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.