Sylvan Lake property taxes & housing data
Sylvan Lake is taxed at 36.0418–41.9749 mills across 2 school districts. That is 1.66 mills above the Oakland County median and 3.44 mills above the Southeast Michigan median — the 29th lowest of 52 municipalities in the county, and 137 of 236 region-wide.
Rates by school district
| School district | Homestead | Non-homestead | $250,000 | $350,000 | $500,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pontiac City School District | 36.0418 | 54.0418 | $4,505 | $6,307 | $9,010 |
| West Bloomfield School District | 41.9749 | 58.5490 | $5,247 | $7,346 | $10,494 |
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 Sylvan Lake compares in Oakland County
| Municipality | Lowest millage | Annual tax on $350,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Highland Township | 32.7248 | $5,727 |
| Milford Township | 33.3601 | $5,838 |
| Bloomfield Hills | 35.4018 | $6,195 |
| Wixom | 35.8219 | $6,269 |
| Sylvan Lake | 36.0418 | $6,307 |
| Clarkston | 36.2619 | $6,346 |
| Berkley | 36.3012 | $6,353 |
| Oxford Township | 37.1942 | $6,509 |
| Royal Oak Township | 37.2947 | $6,527 |
← Wixom (lower) · Clarkston (higher) →
For sale in Sylvan Lake right now
3 active listings in Sylvan Lake — the 3 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.
$599,000
2159 Avondale Street · Sylvan Lake
3 bd · 3 ba · 2,210 sqft
Listing courtesy of The Agency Hall & Hunter
$580,000
2385 Avondale Street · Sylvan Lake
3 bd · 3 ba · 2,260 sqft
Listing courtesy of Coldwell Banker Professionals-Birm
$499,900
2155 Avondale Street · Sylvan Lake
3 bd · 3 ba · 2,923 sqft
Listing courtesy of The Agency Hall & Hunter
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 Sylvan Lake: Sylvan Lake — recorded sale prices and all-sports status for the lake.
Compare Sylvan Lake with another community
Sylvan Lake has 13 side-by-side comparisons, 9 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 Sylvan Lake.
| Comparison | Their lowest millage | Annual tax on $350,000 | vs Sylvan Lake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvan Lake vs Orion Township · same schools | 29.0657 | $5,086 | −$1,221 |
| Sylvan Lake vs Orchard Lake · same schools | 29.8531 | $5,224 | −$1,083 |
| Sylvan Lake vs Lake Angelus · same schools | 30.3952 | $5,319 | −$988 |
| Sylvan Lake vs Waterford Township · same schools | 30.4079 | $5,321 | −$986 |
| Sylvan Lake vs West Bloomfield Township · same schools | 31.4531 | $5,504 | −$803 |
| Sylvan Lake vs Bloomfield Township · same schools | 31.5648 | $5,524 | −$783 |
| Sylvan Lake vs Keego Harbor · same schools | 40.2912 | $7,051 | +$744 |
| Sylvan Lake vs Auburn Hills · same schools | 32.4857 | $5,685 | −$622 |
| Sylvan Lake vs Pontiac · same schools | 38.3748 | $6,716 | +$408 |
| Sylvan Lake vs Bloomfield Hills | 35.4018 | $6,195 | −$112 |
| Sylvan Lake vs Berkley | 36.3012 | $6,353 | +$45 |
| Sylvan Lake vs Clarkston | 36.2619 | $6,346 | +$39 |
| Sylvan Lake vs Wixom | 35.8219 | $6,269 | −$38 |
What it's like to own in Sylvan Lake
Beyond the tax rate, three things shape what owning in Sylvan Lake 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
1954
average year built · 1,651 sqft average across 805 single-family homes
SEMCOG Buildings_2024
Lead in drinking water
0 ppb
90th percentile for Sylvan Lake · below Michigan's 12 ppb action level. Standard sampling — not comparable to systems that sample at the fifth liter.
EGLE / MDHHS water-system monitoring, periods ending 2025-12-31
Radon
1.57 pCi/L
average across 382 home tests · 1% above the EPA 4 pCi/L action level — low. ZIPs 48320, 48341, 48324.
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 Sylvan Lake, Michigan?
Sylvan Lake is taxed at 36.0418–41.9749 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 $6,307 a year.
Does the tax rate change by address within Sylvan Lake?
Yes. Sylvan Lake spans 2 school districts and the rate runs from 36.0418 to 41.9749 mills depending on the district your address falls in — a difference of $1,038 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 Sylvan Lake?
About $6,307 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 Sylvan 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 Sylvan Lake compare with the rest of Oakland County?
It is the 29 lowest of 52 municipalities in Oakland County and 137 of 236 across the eight-county region — 1.66 mills above the county median.
What your Sylvan 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 Sylvan 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.