Orchard Lake property taxes & housing data
Orchard Lake is taxed at 29.8531–33.6967 mills across 3 school districts. That is 4.53 mills below the Oakland County median and 2.75 mills below the Southeast Michigan median — the 12th lowest of 52 municipalities in the county, and 95 of 236 region-wide.
Rates by school district
| School district | Homestead | Non-homestead | $250,000 | $350,000 | $500,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walled Lake Consolidated Schools | 29.8531 | 47.5111 | $3,732 | $5,224 | $7,463 |
| Bloomfield Hills School District | 32.7899 | 46.4063 | $4,099 | $5,738 | $8,197 |
| West Bloomfield School District | 33.6967 | 50.2708 | $4,212 | $5,897 | $8,424 |
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 Orchard Lake compares in Oakland County
| Municipality | Lowest millage | Annual tax on $350,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Holly Township | 27.8444 | $4,873 |
| Rose Township | 28.4752 | $4,983 |
| White Lake Township | 28.7703 | $5,035 |
| Orion Township | 29.0657 | $5,086 |
| Orchard Lake | 29.8531 | $5,224 |
| Lake Angelus | 30.3952 | $5,319 |
| Waterford Township | 30.4079 | $5,321 |
| Troy | 30.6309 | $5,360 |
| Rochester Hills | 30.8553 | $5,400 |
← Orion Township (lower) · Lake Angelus (higher) →
Compare Orchard Lake with another community
Orchard Lake has 15 side-by-side comparisons, 12 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 Orchard Lake.
| Comparison | Their lowest millage | Annual tax on $350,000 | vs Orchard Lake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orchard Lake vs Walled Lake · same schools | 40.9991 | $7,175 | +$1,951 |
| Orchard Lake vs Keego Harbor · same schools | 40.2912 | $7,051 | +$1,827 |
| Orchard Lake vs Farmington Hills · same schools | 39.4568 | $6,905 | +$1,681 |
| Orchard Lake vs Sylvan Lake · same schools | 36.0418 | $6,307 | +$1,083 |
| Orchard Lake vs Wixom · same schools | 35.8219 | $6,269 | +$1,045 |
| Orchard Lake vs Bloomfield Hills · same schools | 35.4018 | $6,195 | +$971 |
| Orchard Lake vs Commerce Township · same schools | 24.5296 | $4,293 | −$932 |
| Orchard Lake vs Novi · same schools | 27.1551 | $4,752 | −$472 |
| Orchard Lake vs Bloomfield Township · same schools | 31.5648 | $5,524 | +$300 |
| Orchard Lake vs West Bloomfield Township · same schools | 31.4531 | $5,504 | +$280 |
| Orchard Lake vs White Lake Township · same schools | 28.7703 | $5,035 | −$189 |
| Orchard Lake vs Orion Township | 29.0657 | $5,086 | −$138 |
| Orchard Lake vs Troy · same schools | 30.6309 | $5,360 | +$136 |
| Orchard Lake vs Waterford Township | 30.4079 | $5,321 | +$97 |
| Orchard Lake vs Lake Angelus | 30.3952 | $5,319 | +$95 |
Look up, pay and appeal your Orchard Lake taxes
Orchard Lake 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 Orchard Lake 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.
- Oakland County Property Gateway — parcel and tax search for Oakland County addresses.
- Oakland 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 Orchard Lake (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 29.8531–33.6967 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 Orchard Lake, Michigan?
Orchard Lake is taxed at 29.8531–33.6967 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 $5,224 a year.
Does the tax rate change by address within Orchard Lake?
Yes. Orchard Lake spans 3 school districts and the rate runs from 29.8531 to 33.6967 mills depending on the district your address falls in — a difference of $673 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 Orchard Lake?
About $5,224 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 Orchard Lake 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 Orchard Lake compare with the rest of Oakland County?
It is the 12 lowest of 52 municipalities in Oakland County and 95 of 236 across the eight-county region — 4.53 mills below the county median.
How do I look up or pay my Orchard Lake property tax bill?
Summer and winter bills are collected by the Orchard Lake 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 Oakland County Treasurer, whose parcel search covers every address in the county.
How do I appeal my Orchard Lake property tax assessment?
Petition the Orchard Lake 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 (29.8531–33.6967 mills).
What your Orchard Lake 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 Orchard Lake — 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.