Howell property taxes & housing data
Howell is taxed at 37.8695 mills across 1 school district. That is 15.01 mills above the Livingston County median and 5.26 mills above the Southeast Michigan median — the 19th lowest of 19 municipalities in the county, and 147 of 236 region-wide.
Rates by school district
| School district | Homestead | Non-homestead | $250,000 | $350,000 | $500,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howell Public School District | 37.8695 | 55.8695 | $4,734 | $6,627 | $9,467 |
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 Howell compares in Livingston County
| Municipality | Lowest millage | Annual tax on $350,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Green Oak Township | 25.3046 | $4,428 |
| Unadilla Township | 26.8143 | $4,693 |
| Hartland Township | 28.4412 | $4,977 |
| Brighton | 36.6593 | $6,415 |
| Howell | 37.8695 | $6,627 |
For sale in Howell right now
28 active listings in Howell — 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.
$699,000
100 Fordney Place · Howell
3 bd · 3 ba · 3,049 sqft
Listing courtesy of RE/MAX Platinum
$364,900
817 Nelsons Ridge Drive · Howell
3 bd · 3 ba · 1,700 sqft
Listing courtesy of @properties Christie's Int'l RE Northville
$399,900
360 Dorchester Drive · Howell
3 bd · 3 ba · 1,866 sqft
Listing courtesy of Allen Edwin Realty
$121,000
407 W Highland Road, Unit 3 · Howell
2 bd · 1 ba · 988 sqft
Listing courtesy of RE/MAX Platinum
$845,000
560 Black Oaks Trail · Howell
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,702 sqft
Listing courtesy of National Realty Centers, Inc
$300,000
1614 Town Commons Drive · Howell
3 bd · 4 ba · 2,331 sqft
Listing courtesy of Real Estate One-Sterling Heights
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 2026-09-04T09:58-04:00; refreshed at least twice daily.
Waterfront in Howell: Lake Chemung · Thompson Lake — recorded sale prices and all-sports status for each.
Compare Howell with another community
Howell has 12 side-by-side comparisons, 10 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 Howell.
| Comparison | Their lowest millage | Annual tax on $350,000 | vs Howell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howell vs Deerfield Township · same schools | 14.7729 | $2,585 | −$4,042 |
| Howell vs Genoa Township · same schools | 16.8507 | $2,949 | −$3,678 |
| Howell vs Oceola Township · same schools | 17.4941 | $3,061 | −$3,566 |
| Howell vs Cohoctah Township · same schools | 18.4114 | $3,222 | −$3,405 |
| Howell vs Brighton Township · same schools | 19.8570 | $3,475 | −$3,152 |
| Howell vs Marion Township · same schools | 22.6564 | $3,965 | −$2,662 |
| Howell vs Handy Township · same schools | 23.2170 | $4,063 | −$2,564 |
| Howell vs Iosco Township · same schools | 23.5792 | $4,126 | −$2,501 |
| Howell vs Putnam Township · same schools | 23.6018 | $4,130 | −$2,497 |
| Howell vs Howell Township · same schools | 23.6604 | $4,141 | −$2,487 |
| Howell vs Hartland Township | 28.4412 | $4,977 | −$1,650 |
| Howell vs Brighton | 36.6593 | $6,415 | −$212 |
What it's like to own in Howell
Beyond the tax rate, three things shape what owning in Howell 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 · 1,589 sqft average across 2,093 single-family homes
SEMCOG Buildings_2024
Lead in drinking water
0 ppb
90th percentile for Howell, City Of · 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
3.66 pCi/L
average across 2,361 home tests · 30% above the EPA 4 pCi/L action level — elevated. ZIPs 48843, 48855.
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 Howell, Michigan?
Howell is taxed at 37.8695 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 $6,627 a year.
Does the tax rate change by address within Howell?
No. All of Howell sits in Howell Public School District, so the millage is 37.8695 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 Howell?
About $6,627 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 Howell 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 Howell compare with the rest of Livingston County?
It is the 19 lowest of 19 municipalities in Livingston County and 147 of 236 across the eight-county region — 15.01 mills above the county median.
Is down payment assistance available for homes in Howell?
Likely, but verify per program: 98% of the 203 Howell 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 Howell 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 Howell — 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.