Waterford Township property taxes & housing data
Waterford Township is taxed at 30.4079–34.6099 mills across 3 school districts. That is 3.97 mills below the Oakland County median and 2.20 mills below the Southeast Michigan median — the 14th lowest of 52 municipalities in the county, and 99 of 236 region-wide.
Rates by school district
| School district | Homestead | Non-homestead | $250,000 | $350,000 | $500,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pontiac City School District | 30.4079 | 48.4079 | $3,801 | $5,321 | $7,602 |
| Waterford School District | 34.3599 | 52.0348 | $4,295 | $6,013 | $8,590 |
| Clarkston Community School District | 34.6099 | 52.6099 | $4,326 | $6,057 | $8,652 |
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 Waterford Township compares in Oakland County
| Municipality | Lowest millage | Annual tax on $350,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Brandon Township | 30.9213 | $5,411 |
| West Bloomfield Township | 31.4531 | $5,504 |
← Lake Angelus (lower) · Troy (higher) →
For sale in Waterford Township right now
180 active listings in Waterford Township — 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.
$159,900
272 Preston Ave AVE · Waterford Township
3 bd · 1 ba · 1,077 sqft
Listing courtesy of RE/MAX First
$240,000
3089 Pontiac Lake RD · Waterford Township
3 bd · 1 ba · 1,120 sqft
Listing courtesy of The Brand Real Estate
$329,900
3667 Lorena DR · Waterford Township
4 bd · 3 ba · 2,550 sqft
Listing courtesy of Real Estate For A CAUSE
$899,900
980 Sunset DR · Waterford Township
4 bd · 4 ba · 4,271 sqft
Listing courtesy of @properties Christie's Int'l R.E. Birmingham
$270,000
3132 Harbor CT · Waterford Township
2 bd · 3 ba · 2,309 sqft
Listing courtesy of Remerica United Realty
$239,900
3699 Percy King Road · Waterford Township
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,910 sqft
Listing courtesy of National Realty Centers, Inc
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 2026-11-02T23:11+00:00; refreshed at least twice daily.
Waterfront in Waterford Township: Cass Lake · Lake Oakland · Clinton River · Williams Lake · Watkins Lake · Elizabeth Lake · Sylvan Lake · Loon Lake · Eagle Lake — recorded sale prices and all-sports status for each.
Compare Waterford Township with another community
Waterford Township has 14 side-by-side comparisons, 11 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 Waterford Township.
| Comparison | Their lowest millage | Annual tax on $350,000 | vs Waterford Township |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterford Township vs Pontiac · same schools | 38.3748 | $6,716 | +$1,394 |
| Waterford Township vs Clarkston · same schools | 36.2619 | $6,346 | +$1,024 |
| Waterford Township vs Sylvan Lake · same schools | 36.0418 | $6,307 | +$986 |
| Waterford Township vs Auburn Hills · same schools | 32.4857 | $5,685 | +$364 |
| Waterford Township vs Independence Township · same schools | 32.4766 | $5,683 | +$362 |
| Waterford Township vs White Lake Township · same schools | 28.7703 | $5,035 | −$287 |
| Waterford Township vs Orion Township · same schools | 29.0657 | $5,086 | −$235 |
| Waterford Township vs Springfield Township · same schools | 31.6460 | $5,538 | +$217 |
| Waterford Township vs Bloomfield Township · same schools | 31.5648 | $5,524 | +$202 |
| Waterford Township vs West Bloomfield Township · same schools | 31.4531 | $5,504 | +$183 |
| Waterford Township vs Orchard Lake | 29.8531 | $5,224 | −$97 |
| Waterford Township vs Rochester Hills | 30.8553 | $5,400 | +$78 |
| Waterford Township vs Troy | 30.6309 | $5,360 | +$39 |
| Waterford Township vs Lake Angelus · same schools | 30.3952 | $5,319 | −$2 |
Look up, pay and appeal your Waterford Township taxes
Waterford Township 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 Waterford Township 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 Waterford Township (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 30.4079–34.6099 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 Waterford Twp
Beyond the tax rate, three things shape what owning in Waterford Twp 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
1966
average year built · 1,492 sqft average across 24,010 single-family homes
SEMCOG Buildings_2024
Lead in drinking water
1 ppb
90th percentile for Waterford Township · 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
3.49 pCi/L
average across 1,980 home tests · 30% above the EPA 4 pCi/L action level — elevated. ZIPs 48329, 48328, 48327, 48346, 48324, 48326.
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 Waterford Township, Michigan?
Waterford Township is taxed at 30.4079–34.6099 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 $5,321 a year.
Does the tax rate change by address within Waterford Township?
Yes. Waterford Township spans 3 school districts and the rate runs from 30.4079 to 34.6099 mills depending on the district your address falls in — a difference of $735 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 Waterford Township?
About $5,321 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 Waterford Township 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 Waterford Township compare with the rest of Oakland County?
It is the 14 lowest of 52 municipalities in Oakland County and 99 of 236 across the eight-county region — 3.97 mills below the county median.
How do I look up or pay my Waterford Township property tax bill?
Summer and winter bills are collected by the Waterford Township 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 Waterford Township property tax assessment?
Petition the Waterford Township 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 (30.4079–34.6099 mills).
Is down payment assistance available for homes in Waterford Township?
Likely, but verify per program: 98% of the 798 Waterford Township 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 Waterford Township 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 Waterford Township — 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.