Gratiot 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
3
Townships
16
School districts
15
Primary home (PRE) rates, for homes with Michigan's Principal Residence Exemption, range from 23.5476 mills to 46.1895 mills.
Other property, often called non-homestead, usually means rentals, vacation homes, and second homes. Those rates range from 41.5476 mills to 64.1895 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
Gratiot 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
Gratiot 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
Gratiot 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
Gratiot 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 Gratiot County
City
Alma
1 school district available.
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City
Ithaca
1 school district available.
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City
St Louis
1 school district available.
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Township
Arcada Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Bethany Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Elba Township
3 school districts available.
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Township
Emerson Township
4 school districts available.
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Township
Fulton Township
3 school districts available.
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Township
Hamilton Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Lafayette Township
3 school districts available.
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Township
New Haven Township
4 school districts available.
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Township
Newark Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
North Shade Township
3 school districts available.
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Township
North Star Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Pine River Township
3 school districts available.
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Township
Seville Township
4 school districts available.
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Township
Sumner Township
3 school districts available.
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Township
Washington Township
5 school districts available.
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Township
Wheeler Township
2 school districts available.
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Porch Notes
Local notes from Gratiot County
Stories, practical notes, and local details tied to places in this county.
Gratiot County · History and culture
The college that turned itself Scottish
Alma College opened in 1887 as a Presbyterian school, traded its 'Fighting Presbyterians' nickname for the Scots in 1931, and now pipes its graduates across the stage in kilts.
Read this note ->Gratiot County · Outdoors
About 16,700 acres of public wildlife land
The DNR currently lists the Gratiot-Saginaw State Game Area at 16,684 acres, a broad patchwork of forest, openings, and wetlands along the county line.
Read this note ->Gratiot County · History and culture
Alma's refinery was first in the country to sell 96-octane gas
Leonard Refineries grew from a small Alma plant into a statewide gasoline business. CMU's Clarke Historical Library says it became the first U.S. company to offer 96-octane gasoline to the public in 1953.
Read this note ->Gratiot County · Outdoors
An old farm that grew its wetlands back
Forest Hill Nature Area north of Alma is a 90-acre former farm where a conservation district and a school agency rebuilt the wetlands and opened the trails to anyone, free.
Read this note ->Gratiot County · History and culture
The 1881 brick house that became the county's attic
Gratiot County's historical museum lives in a red-brick Victorian on Ithaca's Center Street, built in 1881 and filled with a century of local life from the 1850s to the 1950s.
Read this note ->Gratiot County · Outdoors
Thirty miles of Pine River that ends two blocks from downtown
The Pine River Canoe Trail runs about 30 miles through Gratiot County's farm country and floodplain woods, from Lumberjack Park near Riverdale down to within two blocks of downtown Alma.
Read this note ->Next steps
What to check next in Gratiot 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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