Leelanau’s beauty makes it a desirable place to live.
This beauty is one of several factors which has increased property values on the peninsula by 355.3% since 1994, according to Andrew Giguere, county equalization director, who shared this information Tuesday, during the county’s executive committee meeting. By law, the county must adopt an apportionment report by the end of October.
In 1994, the county property value was $927.5 million to $4.2 billion, with a B. It was 1994 when state voters approved proposal A, which established a 6-mill school tax and capped increases.
The taxable value for each home is the number used to calculate property taxes. When a home is purchased, the taxable value is generally 50% of the property’s market value (but it makes up a smaller percentage as time passes). Each mill equates to $1 of tax per $1,000 of taxable value.
No one wants to pay more taxes. And in the case of Leelanau County, the higher taxable values, have resulted in one of the lowest tax rates in the state.
Leelanau ranks 26 of the 83 counties in Michigan in terms of taxable property in 2025.
In 2024, Ingham County’s millage rate was 60.01 mills, while the average rate in Leelanau was 27.27. (That average includes both homestead and non-homestead properties.)
One reason for Leelanau’s low rates are that the county is adjacent to Traverse City and Sleeping Bear Dunes. Leelanau has some of the most expensive vacation properties in Michigan, generating lots of revenue even with a lower millage rate — especially since vacation properties are taxed at the higher non-homestead rate.
Last year, Michigan’s average millage rate was 42.21 mills, according to the state Department of Treasury. For an owner-occupied home, it was 35.18.
The largest source of taxable value comes from the Residential Class (89.75%) followed by Commercial (5.73%); Agriculture (2.78%), Utility (1.34%) and lastly Industrial (.40%), according to the apportionment report.
The report also identifies the top 10 owners of property in the county.
Consumers Energy, with 33 parcels, has a taxable value of $31.8 million. MF Developer LLC owns four properties in Elmwood Township with a taxable value of $19.5 million. DTE is No. 3 with 20 parcels with a taxable value of $16.9 million. The Bayberry Group Inc. holds 32 parcels with a taxable value of $8.6 million; Cherryland Electric, $7.5 million; and Glen Arbor Property LLC, $7.3 million.
Rounding out the top 10 are Tom’s Food Market, $5.9 million; the Celebrate Life Trust has a taxable of $5.1million; Cherry Bay Orchards Inc., $4.7 million and Cedar Creek Commons Inc. $4.2 million.
These top 10 taxpayers represent 2.65% ($111,720,768) of the total taxable value of the county.
According to the report, the county contains 1,261 tax exempt parcels (4.77% of all parcels) representing 59,553 acres. The largest holder of taxexempt property on the peninsula is the National Park Service.
The Leelanau Conservancy has more than 100 properties that are exempt from taxes.
Seventy-eight parcels are exempt from taxes on the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa reservation.
There are also 60 churches or church-owned properties listed as exempt from taxes in the report.
