What Wayne County property tax looks like
Among the 30 counties covered here, Wayne County has the 7th highest effective rate and the 25th highest median bill. Every $100,000 of value carries about $1,642 of tax a year at this rate.
On a $400,000 purchase that comes to roughly $6,568 a year, or $547 a month. Priced at the Michigan average rate instead, the same home would cost $121 a month less in tax.
Wayne County includes the city of Detroit, whose home values and tax rates differ sharply from its suburbs, so the countywide median describes neither well.
Example monthly payment at the median home value
Borrowing $136,160 against a $170,200 Wayne County home (20% down, 6.5% for 30 years, illustrative rather than quoted) works out as follows.
| Component | Per month |
|---|---|
| Principal and interest | $861 |
| Property tax | $233 |
| Homeowners insurance | $150 |
| Mortgage insurance (PMI) | $0 |
| Total | $1,244 |
Property tax is 18.7% of the $1,244 total, so a lender escrowing it would set aside about $233 each month toward the Wayne County bill.
How reliable this figure is
For Wayne County the Census Bureau reports a 90% margin of error of ±$24 on the $2,794 median tax and ±$1,410 on the $170,200 median value, so the 1.642% rate is a county-wide average rather than the rate on any one bill.
These medians describe today's owners, not today's buyers. How Michigan values and caps a home, including what resets on sale, is set out on the Michigan page.
Counties with a similar rate
Also in Michigan: Oakland County (1.324%).
Frequently asked questions
What is the property tax rate in Wayne County, MI?
The effective rate is 1.642%, which is the median real estate tax paid ($2,794) divided by the median home value ($170,200) in the Census Bureau's 2019-2023 estimates.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Wayne County?
At this county's effective rate the figure is about $6,568 a year, or $547 a month. That is $121 a month more than the Michigan average rate of 1.28% would give on the same price.
How much of a Wayne County monthly mortgage payment is property tax?
On a $170,200 home with 20% down at 6.5% over 30 years, property tax is about $233 of a $1,244 total monthly payment, or 18.7%.
Is property tax in Wayne County high compared with the rest of Michigan?
Wayne County's 1.642% is 0.36 percentage points above the 1.28% Michigan average, and its $2,794 median bill ranks 25th of the 30 counties covered here, with the rate ranking 7th.
Source and method
Census American Community Survey, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates, released December 2024. For Wayne County: B25103 median tax $2,794, B25077 median value $170,200, B25003 447,120 owner-occupied homes. Formulas are on the methodology page; every result is an estimate, not a quote or tax advice.