Harper Woods property taxes & housing data
Harper Woods is taxed at 69.1266–70.4346 mills across 2 school districts. That is 19.04 mills above the Wayne County median and 36.52 mills above the Southeast Michigan median — the 41st lowest of 43 municipalities in the county, and 234 of 236 region-wide.
Rates by school district
| School district | Homestead | Non-homestead | $250,000 | $350,000 | $500,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grosse Pointe Public School District | 69.1266 | 83.6043 | $8,641 | $12,097 | $17,282 |
| Harper Woods Schools | 70.4346 | 88.4346 | $8,804 | $12,326 | $17,609 |
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 Harper Woods compares in Wayne County
| Municipality | Lowest millage | Annual tax on $350,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
← Detroit (lower) · Ecorse (higher) →
For sale in Harper Woods right now
87 active listings in Harper Woods — 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.
$100,000
18948 Kenosha Street · Harper Woods
3 bd · 1 ba · 892 sqft
Listing courtesy of Keller Williams Advantage
$119,000
20925 Ridgemont ST · Harper Woods
2 bd · 1 ba · 728 sqft
Listing courtesy of Real Estate One Clinton
$80,000
19214 Roscommon Street · Harper Woods
2 bd · 1 ba · 994 sqft
Listing courtesy of Keller Williams Somerset
$74,999
18777 Kingsville Street · Harper Woods
2 bd · 1 ba · 698 sqft
Listing courtesy of Century 21 Curran & Oberski
$165,000
20712 Lancaster ST · Harper Woods
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,958 sqft
Listing courtesy of Realteam Real Estate
$180,000
20871 Beaufait Street · Harper Woods
3 bd · 1 ba · 1,080 sqft
Listing courtesy of RE/MAX Home Sale Services
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 Harper Woods with another community
Harper Woods has 9 side-by-side comparisons, 5 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 Harper Woods.
| Comparison | Their lowest millage | Annual tax on $350,000 | vs Harper Woods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harper Woods vs Grosse Pointe · same schools | 52.2962 | $9,152 | −$2,945 |
| Harper Woods vs Grosse Pointe Shores Village · same schools | 52.4293 | $9,175 | −$2,922 |
| Harper Woods vs Grosse Pointe Farms · same schools | 52.7433 | $9,230 | −$2,867 |
| Harper Woods vs Grosse Pointe Park · same schools | 54.5661 | $9,549 | −$2,548 |
| Harper Woods vs Grosse Pointe Woods · same schools | 55.2398 | $9,667 | −$2,430 |
| Harper Woods vs Highland Park | 63.2210 | $11,064 | −$1,033 |
| Harper Woods vs Detroit | 64.1844 | $11,232 | −$865 |
| Harper Woods vs River Rouge | 73.6904 | $12,896 | +$799 |
| Harper Woods vs Ecorse | 71.6508 | $12,539 | +$442 |
What it's like to own in Harper Woods
Beyond the tax rate, three things shape what owning in Harper Woods 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
1950
average year built · 1,155 sqft average across 5,296 single-family homes
SEMCOG Buildings_2024
Lead in drinking water
5 ppb
90th percentile for Harper Woods · 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
2.34 pCi/L
average across 115 home tests · 11% above the EPA 4 pCi/L action level — elevated. ZIPs 48225, 48236.
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 Harper Woods, Michigan?
Harper Woods is taxed at 69.1266–70.4346 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 $12,097 a year.
Does the tax rate change by address within Harper Woods?
Yes. Harper Woods spans 2 school districts and the rate runs from 69.1266 to 70.4346 mills depending on the district your address falls in — a difference of $229 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 Harper Woods?
About $12,097 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 Harper Woods 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 Harper Woods compare with the rest of Wayne County?
It is the 41 lowest of 43 municipalities in Wayne County and 234 of 236 across the eight-county region — 19.04 mills above the county median.
Is down payment assistance available for homes in Harper Woods?
Likely, but verify per program: 100% of the 134 Harper Woods 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 Harper Woods 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 Harper Woods — 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.