Ferndale property taxes & housing data
Ferndale is taxed at 47.1564–51.6764 mills across 2 school districts. That is 12.78 mills above the Oakland County median and 14.55 mills above the Southeast Michigan median — the 47th lowest of 52 municipalities in the county, and 192 of 236 region-wide.
Rates by school district
| School district | Homestead | Non-homestead | $250,000 | $350,000 | $500,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferndale City School District | 47.1564 | 65.1564 | $5,895 | $8,252 | $11,789 |
| Hazel Park City School District | 51.6764 | 69.6764 | $6,460 | $9,043 | $12,919 |
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 Ferndale compares in Oakland County
| Municipality | Lowest millage | Annual tax on $350,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Huntington Woods | 43.6735 | $7,643 |
| Farmington | 44.5448 | $7,795 |
| Pleasant Ridge | 46.0062 | $8,051 |
| Madison Heights | 46.2962 | $8,102 |
| Ferndale | 47.1564 | $8,252 |
| Clawson | 48.6167 | $8,508 |
| Southfield | 50.6993 | $8,872 |
| Lathrup Village | 54.0342 | $9,456 |
| Oak Park | 59.4486 | $10,404 |
← Madison Heights (lower) · Clawson (higher) →
For sale in Ferndale right now
84 active listings in Ferndale — 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.
$229,900
727 Wordsworth Street · Ferndale
3 bd · 1 ba · 1,020 sqft
Listing courtesy of Sine & Monaghan, LLC
$245,000
390 Hilton Road · Ferndale
2 bd · 2 ba · 1,369 sqft
Listing courtesy of Signature Sotheby's International Realty Bham
$325,000
475 E Marshall Street · Ferndale
3 bd · 1 ba · 1,244 sqft
Listing courtesy of eXp Realty Best Life and Company
$319,000
536 E Maplehurst Street · Ferndale
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,367 sqft
Listing courtesy of DOBI Real Estate
$339,900
316 Spencer Street · Ferndale
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,368 sqft
Listing courtesy of @properties Christie's Int'l R.E. Birmingham
$239,900
1474 Jewell ST · Ferndale
2 bd · 1 ba · 901 sqft
Listing courtesy of Real Estate One Clinton
IDX provided courtesy of Realcomp II Ltd. via Match Realty LLC and 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 2026-09-04T09:58-04:00; refreshed at least twice daily.
Compare Ferndale with another community
Ferndale has 8 side-by-side comparisons, 4 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 Ferndale.
| Comparison | Their lowest millage | Annual tax on $350,000 | vs Ferndale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferndale vs Hazel Park · same schools | 62.2247 | $10,889 | +$2,637 |
| Ferndale vs Oak Park · same schools | 59.4486 | $10,404 | +$2,151 |
| Ferndale vs Royal Oak Township · same schools | 37.2947 | $6,527 | −$1,726 |
| Ferndale vs Royal Oak | 37.9610 | $6,643 | −$1,609 |
| Ferndale vs Southfield | 50.6993 | $8,872 | +$620 |
| Ferndale vs Clawson | 48.6167 | $8,508 | +$256 |
| Ferndale vs Pleasant Ridge · same schools | 46.0062 | $8,051 | −$201 |
| Ferndale vs Madison Heights | 46.2962 | $8,102 | −$151 |
What it's like to own in Ferndale
Beyond the tax rate, three things shape what owning in Ferndale 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
1939
average year built · 1,105 sqft average across 8,815 single-family homes
SEMCOG Buildings_2024
Lead in drinking water
9 ppb
90th percentile for Ferndale · below Michigan's 12 ppb action level. Sampled at the fifth liter, which deliberately draws water that sat in the service line and reads higher by design — not comparable to systems that sample standard.
EGLE / MDHHS water-system monitoring, periods ending 2025-12-31
Radon
0.93 pCi/L
average across 310 home tests · 2% above the EPA 4 pCi/L action level — low. ZIPs 48220, 48069, 48237.
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 Ferndale, Michigan?
Ferndale is taxed at 47.1564–51.6764 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 $8,252 a year.
Does the tax rate change by address within Ferndale?
Yes. Ferndale spans 2 school districts and the rate runs from 47.1564 to 51.6764 mills depending on the district your address falls in — a difference of $791 a year on a $350,000 home. The district table above lists every rate.
How much are property taxes on a $350,000 home in Ferndale?
About $8,252 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 Ferndale 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 Ferndale compare with the rest of Oakland County?
It is the 47 lowest of 52 municipalities in Oakland County and 192 of 236 across the eight-county region — 12.78 mills above the county median.
Is down payment assistance available for homes in Ferndale?
Likely, but verify per program: 99% of the 358 Ferndale 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 Ferndale 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 Ferndale — 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.