Houghton 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
2
Townships
14
School districts
12
Primary home (PRE) rates, for homes with Michigan's Principal Residence Exemption, range from 25.1486 mills to 49.6634 mills.
Other property, often called non-homestead, usually means rentals, vacation homes, and second homes. Those rates range from 43.1486 mills to 67.6634 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
Houghton 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
Houghton 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
Houghton 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
Houghton 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 Houghton County
City
Hancock
1 school district available.
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City
Houghton
3 school districts available.
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Township
Adams Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Calumet Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Chassell Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Duncan Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Elm River Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Franklin Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Hancock Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Laird Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Osceola Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Portage Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Quincy Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Schoolcraft Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Stanton Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Torch Lake Township
2 school districts available.
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Porch Notes
Local notes from Houghton County
Stories, practical notes, and local details tied to places in this county.
Houghton County · History and culture
Hancock and the Copper Country's Finnish roots
When the copper mines needed workers, thousands of Finns crossed the ocean to the Keweenaw. Their mark is everywhere in Hancock -- in saunas, in pasties, in street signs, and in the Finnish American Heritage Center.
Read this note ->Houghton County · Money and taxes
Is there a city income tax in Houghton or Hancock?
Neither Houghton nor Hancock charges a city income tax -- and neither does anywhere else in the Upper Peninsula. The nearest one is Grayling, well over a hundred miles away.
Read this note ->Houghton County · History and culture
The Portage Lake Lift Bridge, the heaviest of its kind
The big green bridge between Houghton and Hancock is the world's heaviest double-decked vertical-lift bridge -- and the only land link between the upper and lower halves of the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Read this note ->Houghton County · History and culture
Who Houghton County is named for
Houghton County, the city of Houghton, and even Houghton Lake all carry the name of Douglass Houghton -- Michigan's first state geologist, whose 1841 copper report set off the boom, and who drowned in Lake Superior at just thirty-six.
Read this note ->Houghton County · History and culture
George Gipp: The Gipper from Laurium
The Gipper from Laurium became Notre Dame's first All-American — and the source of the most famous deathbed line in sports, true or not.
Read this note ->Houghton County · Outdoors
The Wolves and Moose of Isle Royale Walked There Across a Bridge of Ice
The wolves and moose of remote Isle Royale arrived across the water — and a 68-year study still tracks their rise and fall, with wolves now near a record high and moose crashing.
Read this note ->Next steps
What to check next in Houghton 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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