Chippewa County, Michigan
Use this county page to find the right government office or narrow down to a city or township. The service directory covers common county jobs; the local pages add property-tax context, school-district rate ranges, nearby places, and Porch Notes tied to each community.
County snapshot
Cities
1
Townships
16
School districts
8
Primary home (PRE) rates, for homes with Michigan's Principal Residence Exemption, range from 22.1126 mills to 43.9009 mills.
Other property, often called non-homestead, usually means rentals, vacation homes, and second homes. Those rates range from 40.1126 mills to 61.9009 mills.
Rate rows come from the official Michigan Treasury millage-rate reports . Data used: 2025 Michigan Treasury Total Property Tax Rates. Last reviewed July 12, 2026.
Use this carefully: Michigan Porch uses the statewide published rates as a planning aid. The local assessor or treasurer controls parcel-specific values, due dates, and special assessments.
County service directory
Find the office before you make the trip
Some questions stay with the city or township. Others move to the county, a health district, or a court. Start with the job you need done, then confirm hours, fees, and forms with the office.
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Marriage licenses, local vital records, and elections
Chippewa County clerk
Start with the clerk for a marriage license, a county-filed birth or death record, election information, and other county records.
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Deeds, mortgages, and recorded land documents
Chippewa County register of deeds
Use this office for recorded property documents. It does not decide ownership disputes or tell you whether a deed is legally sufficient.
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Delinquent real-property tax and foreclosure questions
Chippewa County treasurer
Current bills usually begin with the city or township treasurer. After the local collection period, delinquent real-property tax moves to the county or the state foreclosing unit.
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Private wells, septic systems, and local health services
Local health department
Michigan has county and multi-county health departments. Use the state finder to see which department serves this county before applying or making an appointment.
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District, circuit, probate, or family-court business
Michigan trial courts serving this county
The court depends on the case type and sometimes the city or district. The judiciary directory lists court locations, websites, and contact information by county.
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Countywide assessment data and equalization
Chippewa County equalization
Your local assessor and Board of Review handle an individual parcel first. County equalization studies values across local units and supports assessment administration.
County websites are checked against the State of Michigan county website directory . State and court finders are used where one office or district can serve more than one county. Directory reviewed July 12, 2026. Office roles were checked against Michigan Vital Records, Michigan Treasury taxpayer resources, and State Tax Commission guidance.
Local pages
Places in Chippewa County
City
Sault Sainte Marie
1 school district available.
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Township
Bay Mills Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Bruce Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Chippewa Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Dafter Township
3 school districts available.
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Township
Detour Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Drummond Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Hulbert Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Kinross Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Pickford Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Raber Township
3 school districts available.
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Township
Rudyard Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Soo Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Sugar Island Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Superior Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Trout Lake Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Whitefish Township
1 school district available.
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Porch Notes
Local notes from Chippewa County
Stories, practical notes, and local details tied to places in this county.
Chippewa County · History and culture
How Chippewa County got its name
The Library of Michigan says the county was named for the Ojibwe, or Chippewa, people, whose tribal governments and treaty rights remain part of life here.
Read this note ->Chippewa County · Money and taxes
Is there a city income tax in Sault Ste. Marie?
Sault Ste. Marie does not appear on Michigan Treasury's current list of 24 cities that levy income-related municipal taxes. Living in Chippewa County alone does not create a city income-tax bill.
Read this note ->Chippewa County · Outdoors
Tahquamenon Falls State Park from the Paradise side
The park crosses Chippewa and Luce counties. Paradise is its eastern gateway, while DNR maps place the Upper and Lower falls west of the county line in Luce County.
Read this note ->Chippewa County · History and culture
The Sault Tribe and Bay Mills: sovereign nations of the eastern U.P.
Two federally recognized Ojibwe tribes are based in Chippewa County -- the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, the largest tribe in Michigan, and the Bay Mills Indian Community near Brimley. Both are sovereign governments with their own land, institutions, and treaty rights.
Read this note ->Chippewa County · History and culture
Whitefish Point and the Edmund Fitzgerald
At Whitefish Point, Lake Superior's oldest operating lighthouse and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum remember the ships and crews lost along this stretch of coast.
Read this note ->Chippewa County · History and culture
Michigan's oldest city is older than the United States
Sault Ste. Marie's 1668 French mission date makes it Michigan's oldest city. Anishinaabeg had gathered at Bahweting, the rapids, for millennia before Europeans arrived.
Read this note ->Next steps
What to check next in Chippewa County
Start with a local page, then move into the Michigan rule or tool that matches the question in front of you.
- Tool Estimate a buyer tax bill Use the Michigan homebuyer tax calculator when you have a price, place, and school district. Open calculator ->
- Question Understand uncapping See why a buyer's first full-year tax bill can differ from the seller's old bill. Read the guide ->
- Places Search statewide Look up another city, township, village, county, or school district. Browse places ->
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