River Rouge property taxes & housing data
River Rouge is taxed at 73.6904 mills across 1 school district. That is 23.61 mills above the Wayne County median and 41.09 mills above the Southeast Michigan median — the 43rd lowest of 43 municipalities in the county, and 236 of 236 region-wide.
Rates by school district
| School district | Homestead | Non-homestead | $250,000 | $350,000 | $500,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Rouge City School District | 73.6904 | 88.5404 | $9,211 | $12,896 | $18,423 |
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 River Rouge compares in Wayne County
| Municipality | Lowest millage | Annual tax on $350,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
For sale in River Rouge right now
37 active listings in River Rouge — 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.
$160,000
1027 Coolidge HWY · River Rouge
3 bd · 2 ba · 2,248 sqft
Listing courtesy of Century 21 Curran & Oberski
$145,900
159 Dwight ST · River Rouge
4 bd · 2 ba · 1,152 sqft
Listing courtesy of Real Estate One-Commerce
$39,999
194 Haltiner ST · River Rouge
2 bd · 1 ba · 806 sqft
Listing courtesy of Las Casas Real Estate LLC
$180,000
92 Brownlee ST · River Rouge
6 bd · 2 ba · 2,178 sqft
Listing courtesy of J Dillon Realty
$70,000
72 E Henry Street · River Rouge
2 bd · 1 ba · 812 sqft
Listing courtesy of Keller Williams Realty-Great Lakes
$64,900
56 E Henry ST · River Rouge
4 bd · 1 ba · 1,346 sqft
Listing courtesy of Real Estate One-Dbn Hts/Dbn
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 2026-11-02T23:11+00:00; refreshed at least twice daily.
Compare River Rouge with another community
River Rouge has 2 side-by-side comparisons, 1 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 River Rouge.
| Comparison | Their lowest millage | Annual tax on $350,000 | vs River Rouge |
|---|---|---|---|
| River Rouge vs Harper Woods | 69.1266 | $12,097 | −$799 |
| River Rouge vs Ecorse · same schools | 71.6508 | $12,539 | −$357 |
Look up, pay and appeal your River Rouge taxes
River Rouge 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 River Rouge 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 River Rouge (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 73.6904 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.
What it's like to own in River Rouge
Beyond the tax rate, three things shape what owning in River Rouge 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
1931
average year built · 1,224 sqft average across 2,152 single-family homes
SEMCOG Buildings_2024
Lead in drinking water
13 ppb
90th percentile for River Rouge · above Michigan's 12 ppb action level. Water systems over the action level must take corrective steps. 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
0.0 pCi/L
average across 1 home tests · 0% above the EPA 4 pCi/L action level — low. ZIP 48218.
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 River Rouge, Michigan?
River Rouge is taxed at 73.6904 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 $12,896 a year.
Does the tax rate change by address within River Rouge?
No. All of River Rouge sits in River Rouge City School District, so the millage is 73.6904 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 River Rouge?
About $12,896 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 River Rouge 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 River Rouge compare with the rest of Wayne County?
It is the 43 lowest of 43 municipalities in Wayne County and 236 of 236 across the eight-county region — 23.61 mills above the county median.
How do I look up or pay my River Rouge property tax bill?
Summer and winter bills are collected by the River Rouge 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 River Rouge property tax assessment?
Petition the River Rouge 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 (73.6904 mills).
Is down payment assistance available for homes in River Rouge?
Likely, but verify per program: 100% of the 49 River Rouge 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 River Rouge 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 River Rouge — 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.