State rental market reference · Data updated October 18, 2026
Michigan rental market for DSCR investors: rent, taxes and insurance by county
What a rental in Michigan rents for, what it costs to carry, and whether it stays rented, from official data for all 83 counties. Read it before you price a deal here.
Michigan at a glance
What does a rental rent for?
$1,459 a month
HUD's FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent where most of Michigan's renters live, from $1,014 (Sanilac County) to $1,804 (Washtenaw County). It is the government figure for a modest 2-bedroom unit, utilities included, not the rent for a house.
What will property taxes cost?
1.25% of value a year
Homeowners in Michigan pay a median $2,904 a year on a median home value of $231,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024). A rental can be taxed at a different rate than an owner's home; the local tax bill is the real number.
What will insurance cost?
$1,080 a year
The median that homeowners with a mortgage in Michigan report paying for homeowners insurance (Census ACS 2020–2024). It is not a landlord quote: a rental policy usually costs more, and flood cover is extra.
Will it stay rented?
5.1% rental vacancy
Share of Michigan's rental homes vacant and for rent (Census ACS 2020–2024), across 1,092,179 renter households. Lower means rentals fill faster.
Are jobs growing?
Employment down 4.4% in a year
Employed residents in August 2026 against a year earlier; unemployment 5.2% (BLS, not seasonally adjusted, so compare the same month a year apart).
Is new supply coming?
23,075 homes permitted in 2025
About 5.7 new homes per 1,000 households; 67% single-family (Census Building Permits Survey). More new homes means more competition for tenants and buyers.
How often does it flood?
6,108 flood claims since 2005
National Flood Insurance Program claims on properties in Michigan since 2005, $112.3 million paid (FEMA). Claims show where water has reached insured buildings; they are not a flood map, so check the FEMA flood zone for the address.
What it means for a DSCR rental in Michigan
A lender's DSCR is the monthly rent divided by the full monthly payment: principal, interest, property taxes, insurance and any HOA dues. Many lenders accept 1.00x; 1.20x leaves a cushion.
Take a home at Michigan's median value of $231,600, bought with 25% down on a 7.5% 30-year loan, with the state's typical tax rate and insurance:
- Principal and interest ($173,700 loan)
- $1,215
- Property taxes
- $241
- Insurance
- $90
- Full monthly payment
- $1,546
- Rent for a 1.20x DSCR
- $1,850 a month
The government 2-bedroom figure where most of Michigan's renters live is $1,459 a month, below the $1,850 that home needs. A house usually rents for more than a 2-bedroom unit, so price the house you are looking at with its own rent. The last column of the table below gives the same figure for each county.
Rules and costs a landlord faces in Michigan
Each line quotes the official source it comes from and the date it was last checked. These are general rules, not legal advice; local rules can add to them.
- How long before you can file to evict for unpaid rent?
7 calendar days' notice for unpaid rent before an eviction can be filed.
When a person holds over premises after failing or refusing to pay rent due under the lease or agreement by which the person holds the premises within 7 days from the service of a written demand for possession for nonpayment of the rent due.
Michigan Legislature, checked October 19, 2026
- How fast must the deposit come back?
Within 30 days after the tenancy ends.
the landlord shall mail to the tenant, within 30 days after the termination of occupancy, a notice of damages that contains an itemized list of damages claimed for which the security deposit may be used as provided in section 7
Michigan Legislature, checked October 19, 2026
- Can rents be capped?
State law bars cities and counties from capping rents.
a local governmental unit shall not enact, maintain, or enforce an ordinance or resolution that would have the effect of controlling the amount of rent charged for leasing private residential property.
Michigan Legislature, checked October 19, 2026
- What does the state charge to record a purchase?
State tax: $3.75 for each $500.00.
the tax imposed under sections 3 and 4 is levied at the rate of $3.75 for each $500.00 or fraction of $500.00 of the total value of the property being transferred.
Michigan Legislature, checked October 19, 2026
- Is a rental taxed like the owner's home?
A rental does not get the owner's homestead benefit.
To qualify for a principal residence exemption on a fixed and permanent home, MCL 211.7cc requires that the property must be: owned by a qualified owner as defined by MCL 211.7dd(a); occupied as a principal residence by that owner of the property
Michigan Department of Treasury, checked October 19, 2026
Market hubs in Michigan
DSCRInfo does not publish a monthly market hub in Michigan yet. The figures above and the table below cover every county; the market hubs cover other states.
Michigan by county
All 83 counties, most renter households first. "Rent for 1.20x" is the monthly rent a home at that county's median value needs on the example loan above. A dash means the source publishes no reliable figure there.
| County | 2-bed FMR | Property tax | Insurance / yr | Rental vacancy | Jobs, 1 yr | Permits | Flood claims | Rent for 1.20x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | $1,459 | 1.63% | $1,120 | 4.6% | -1.7% | 3,922 | 1,342 | $1,530 |
| Oakland County | $1,459 | 1.27% | $1,240 | 7.4% | -1.5% | 2,023 | 256 | $2,720 |
| Macomb County | $1,459 | 1.40% | $1,070 | 2.9% | -1.5% | 1,931 | 356 | $1,980 |
| Kent County | $1,630 | 1.11% | $950 | 4.3% | -6.3% | 2,398 | 351 | $2,240 |
| Washtenaw County | $1,804 | 1.52% | $1,180 | 3.7% | -6.4% | 1,088 | 84 | $3,040 |
| Genesee County | $1,133 | 1.36% | $1,150 | 3.2% | -6.1% | 444 | 194 | $1,510 |
| Ingham County | $1,323 | 1.83% | $1,040 | 5.6% | -7.5% | 558 | 141 | $1,720 |
| Kalamazoo County | $1,158 | 1.45% | $1,090 | 5.3% | -6.9% | 487 | 174 | $1,980 |
| Ottawa County | $1,546 | 1.02% | $890 | 3.2% | -6.4% | 1,411 | 200 | $2,450 |
| Saginaw County | $1,141 | 1.49% | $1,030 | 12.9% | -6.4% | 210 | 390 | $1,290 |
| Berrien County | $1,152 | 1.08% | $1,070 | 4.5% | -7.4% | 372 | 107 | $1,760 |
| Jackson County | $1,201 | 1.26% | $1,120 | 5.6% | -6.0% | 303 | 23 | $1,580 |
| Muskegon County | $1,285 | 1.18% | $930 | 7.4% | -7.4% | 451 | 58 | $1,570 |
| Calhoun County | $1,233 | 1.45% | $1,090 | 9.7% | -7.0% | 120 | 37 | $1,370 |
| St. Clair County | $1,459 | 1.14% | $1,080 | 3.5% | -1.7% | 219 | 334 | $1,780 |
| Eaton County | $1,323 | 1.41% | $1,070 | 5.3% | -7.6% | 106 | 47 | $1,780 |
| Monroe County | $1,304 | 1.16% | $1,110 | 3.3% | -6.9% | 191 | 313 | $1,820 |
| Bay County | $1,055 | 1.49% | $950 | 3.9% | -6.8% | 67 | 105 | $1,280 |
| Livingston County | $1,477 | 0.97% | $1,180 | 4.9% | -1.6% | 531 | 59 | $2,710 |
| Isabella County | $1,059 | 1.34% | $980 | 3.7% | -6.7% | 90 | 30 | $1,400 |
| Grand Traverse County | $1,436 | 0.89% | $970 | 9.6% | -6.0% | 475 | 39 | $2,530 |
| Marquette County | $1,199 | 0.97% | $940 | 2.9% | -6.6% | 106 | 10 | $1,670 |
| Lenawee County | $1,195 | 1.27% | $1,120 | 6.1% | -6.5% | 184 | 23 | $1,600 |
| Midland County | $1,205 | 1.47% | $1,050 | 1.9% | -7.7% | 128 | 452 | $1,620 |
| Van Buren County | $1,040 | 1.23% | $1,120 | 6.5% | -6.2% | 210 | 15 | $1,670 |
Show the other 58 counties
| County | 2-bed FMR | Property tax | Insurance / yr | Rental vacancy | Jobs, 1 yr | Permits | Flood claims | Rent for 1.20x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegan County | $1,296 | 1.08% | $970 | 4.1% | -5.2% | 399 | 31 | $2,070 |
| St. Joseph County | $1,046 | 1.10% | $1,160 | 5.5% | -5.8% | 240 | 56 | $1,430 |
| Clinton County | $1,323 | 1.23% | $1,070 | 9.6% | -7.8% | 197 | 23 | $2,060 |
| Shiawassee County | $1,085 | 1.31% | $1,110 | 6.2% | -7.2% | 71 | 12 | $1,420 |
| Ionia County | $1,238 | 1.13% | $990 | 3.8% | -7.3% | 100 | 25 | $1,570 |
| Lapeer County | $1,459 | 0.92% | $1,130 | 1.5% | -1.7% | 179 | 10 | $1,840 |
| Montcalm County | $1,181 | 1.01% | $990 | 5.7% | -6.2% | 201 | 7 | $1,450 |
| Houghton County | $1,033 | 1.16% | $710 | 6.2% | -3.7% | 170 | 6 | $1,260 |
| Cass County | $1,095 | 0.97% | $1,140 | 5.1% | -6.9% | 140 | 12 | $1,700 |
| Mecosta County | $1,063 | 0.99% | $1,020 | 6.5% | -5.8% | 99 | 40 | $1,400 |
| Branch County | $1,093 | 1.16% | $1,100 | 7.8% | -4.2% | 44 | 32 | $1,320 |
| Chippewa County | $1,042 | 1.26% | $930 | 7.8% | -5.0% | 86 | 5 | $1,320 |
| Emmet County | $1,336 | 0.83% | $1,040 | 5.0% | -7.3% | 135 | 8 | $2,350 |
| Hillsdale County | $1,022 | 0.99% | $1,070 | 2.0% | -5.5% | 99 | 11 | $1,390 |
| Gratiot County | $1,018 | 1.24% | $1,050 | 5.7% | -7.1% | 48 | 16 | $1,220 |
| Barry County | $1,362 | 1.05% | $1,110 | 4.3% | -6.8% | 157 | 113 | $2,050 |
| Sanilac County | $1,014 | 0.90% | $1,110 | 3.6% | -8.2% | 74 | 0 | $1,320 |
| Tuscola County | $1,014 | 1.21% | $1,110 | 3.3% | -7.7% | 61 | 24 | $1,230 |
| Delta County | $1,014 | 1.13% | $920 | 4.6% | -5.8% | 58 | 8 | $1,260 |
| Mason County | $1,085 | 1.06% | $1,100 | 3.5% | -6.1% | 66 | 8 | $1,720 |
| Newaygo County | $1,028 | 1.10% | $1,070 | 2.5% | -7.4% | 111 | 116 | $1,490 |
| Wexford County | $1,149 | 1.13% | $930 | 7.7% | -8.1% | 191 | 16 | $1,360 |
| Alpena County | $1,014 | 1.06% | $940 | 2.1% | -5.7% | 72 | 8 | $1,230 |
| Huron County | $1,014 | 1.19% | $1,060 | 5.7% | -6.1% | 69 | 14 | $1,260 |
| Otsego County | $1,192 | 0.80% | $1,030 | 2.5% | -3.2% | 25 | 0 | $1,660 |
| Dickinson County | $1,014 | 1.27% | $880 | 2.8% | -7.2% | 46 | 0 | $1,250 |
| Iosco County | $1,014 | 0.96% | $900 | 3.8% | -7.6% | 47 | 46 | $1,120 |
| Charlevoix County | $1,119 | 0.90% | $1,070 | 3.8% | -6.2% | 111 | 10 | $2,100 |
| Menominee County | $1,014 | 1.01% | $910 | 2.0% | -7.4% | 28 | 28 | $1,200 |
| Roscommon County | $1,014 | 1.01% | $920 | 8.2% | -3.9% | 75 | 3 | $1,250 |
| Clare County | $1,042 | 1.11% | $980 | 5.8% | -5.2% | 23 | 5 | $1,090 |
| Oceana County | $1,014 | 1.01% | $1,010 | 2.7% | -10.1% | 136 | 11 | $1,490 |
| Cheboygan County | $1,104 | 0.89% | $1,040 | 4.9% | -6.2% | 74 | 35 | $1,490 |
| Gladwin County | $1,014 | 1.15% | $980 | 2.9% | -5.6% | 93 | 23 | $1,310 |
| Ogemaw County | $1,033 | 0.95% | $1,100 | 5.1% | -5.6% | 62 | 0 | $1,230 |
| Osceola County | $1,048 | 1.02% | $1,040 | 4.0% | -6.5% | 0 | 56 | $1,240 |
| Antrim County | $1,159 | 0.84% | $1,010 | 4.1% | -6.2% | 105 | 4 | $1,920 |
| Manistee County | $1,067 | 1.04% | $960 | 5.9% | -5.3% | 132 | 16 | $1,430 |
| Gogebic County | $1,014 | 1.43% | $820 | 7.3% | -8.2% | 23 | 3 | $910 |
| Crawford County | $1,097 | 1.06% | $1,030 | 4.4% | -7.3% | 27 | 1 | $1,300 |
| Mackinac County | $1,057 | 1.07% | $940 | 12.0% | -7.8% | 45 | 3 | $1,380 |
| Benzie County | $1,234 | 0.79% | $1,010 | 9.7% | -6.1% | 136 | 8 | $2,120 |
| Lake County | $1,069 | 1.09% | $960 | 0.4% | -7.0% | 30 | 26 | $1,080 |
| Kalkaska County | $1,014 | 0.87% | $960 | 1.5% | -6.3% | 38 | 0 | $1,450 |
| Arenac County | $1,014 | 1.13% | $1,050 | 4.5% | -7.2% | 43 | 60 | $1,220 |
| Missaukee County | $1,014 | 0.98% | $970 | 2.4% | -7.7% | 35 | 0 | $1,340 |
| Iron County | $1,132 | 1.34% | $890 | 4.5% | -9.6% | 161 | 0 | $920 |
| Leelanau County | $1,500 | 0.68% | $1,170 | 23.8% | -6.6% | 159 | 10 | $3,310 |
| Presque Isle County | $1,014 | 0.95% | $920 | 1.7% | -7.3% | 50 | 0 | $1,190 |
| Baraga County | $1,014 | 1.22% | $710 | 6.1% | -7.5% | 12 | 0 | $1,110 |
| Montmorency County | $1,014 | 0.86% | $960 | 9.3% | -7.4% | 0 | 0 | $1,230 |
| Alcona County | $1,014 | 0.82% | $1,010 | 4.0% | -8.4% | 48 | 7 | $1,260 |
| Schoolcraft County | $1,014 | 0.99% | $880 | 2.6% | -7.6% | 12 | 1 | $1,120 |
| Alger County | $1,064 | 0.94% | $1,070 | 6.0% | -3.3% | 32 | 3 | $1,380 |
| Oscoda County | $1,014 | 0.94% | $970 | 1.9% | -8.6% | 24 | 0 | $1,000 |
| Luce County | $1,014 | 0.98% | $900 | 3.6% | -3.4% | 0 | 0 | $900 |
| Ontonagon County | $1,014 | 1.16% | $870 | 5.6% | -7.0% | 10 | 1 | $920 |
| Keweenaw County | $1,014 | 0.99% | $660 | – | +0.4% | 6 | 0 | $1,300 |
Where these numbers come from
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
- HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rents, in effect from October 1, 2026: the rent and utilities of a modest 2-bedroom unit, set for housing vouchers. It is not a house rent. Where HUD publishes by town (New England), the county shows the range. HUD Fair Market Rents
- Property tax, insurance, vacancy and home value
- Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. Property tax is the median tax paid divided by the median home value of owner-occupied homes. Insurance is the median that owners with a mortgage report paying, not a landlord quote. Rental vacancy is homes vacant for rent divided by all rental homes. Figures from too few homes are left blank. American Community Survey
- Jobs
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics: employed residents in August 2026 against the same month a year earlier, not seasonally adjusted. BLS LAUS
- Permits
- Census Building Permits Survey: new housing units authorized in 2025, all building sizes. Building Permits Survey
- Flood claims
- FEMA National Flood Insurance Program claims with a loss in 2005 or later, and the net amount paid. Only insured buildings appear. Check a flood zone
These are screening figures for comparing places, not a quote, an appraisal or a loan offer. Michigan total flood payments since 2005: $112.3 million.