Lake 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
0
Townships
15
School districts
7
Primary home (PRE) rates, for homes with Michigan's Principal Residence Exemption, range from 26.6399 mills to 45.3482 mills.
Other property, often called non-homestead, usually means rentals, vacation homes, and second homes. Those rates range from 44.6399 mills to 63.3482 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.
-
Marriage licenses, local vital records, and elections
Lake County clerk
Start with the clerk for a marriage license, a county-filed birth or death record, election information, and other county records.
-
Deeds, mortgages, and recorded land documents
Lake 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.
-
Delinquent real-property tax and foreclosure questions
Lake 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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Countywide assessment data and equalization
Lake 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 Lake County
Township
Chase Township
1 school district available.
Open place page ->
Township
Cherry Valley Township
1 school district available.
Open place page ->
Township
Dover Township
1 school district available.
Open place page ->
Township
Eden Township
1 school district available.
Open place page ->
Township
Elk Township
2 school districts available.
Open place page ->
Township
Ellsworth Township
1 school district available.
Open place page ->
Township
Lake Township
2 school districts available.
Open place page ->
Township
Newkirk Township
3 school districts available.
Open place page ->
Township
Peacock Township
1 school district available.
Open place page ->
Township
Pinora Township
2 school districts available.
Open place page ->
Township
Pleasant Plains Township
1 school district available.
Open place page ->
Township
Sauble Township
2 school districts available.
Open place page ->
Township
Sweetwater Township
3 school districts available.
Open place page ->
Township
Webber Township
1 school district available.
Open place page ->
Township
Yates Township
1 school district available.
Open place page ->
Porch Notes
Local notes from Lake County
Stories, practical notes, and local details tied to places in this county.
Lake County · Outdoors
The Pere Marquette: Michigan's first National Scenic River
On November 10, 1978, 66 miles of the Pere Marquette became the first river in Michigan added to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System — and it has never been dammed.
Read this note ->Lake County · Outdoors
Troutarama: Baldwin's 70-year party for a transplanted fish
Every July since 1956, Baldwin throws a four-day festival for the brown trout — a European transplant first dumped into a river here in 1884, and the reason the whole town exists today.
Read this note ->Lake County · Outdoors
Bowman Lake: a three-acre lake you have to walk to
A quiet 1,145-acre tract of national forest in Lake County built around a three-acre kettle lake, laced with 7.5 miles of foot trail and four walk-in campsites.
Read this note ->Lake County · History and culture
Chase: the town with no river and seventeen mill whistles
Most lumber towns rode a river to move their logs. Chase had no big stream — so the railroad came instead, and by the mid-1880s seventeen sawmill whistles blew over a town of thousands.
Read this note ->Lake County · History and culture
Luther: the town that was almost named Wilson
A sawmill firm called Wilson, Luther & Wilson founded this Little Manistee River village in 1881 and wanted to call it Wilsonville — until Lansing said the name was taken.
Read this note ->Lake County · History and culture
Nirvana: the lumber town that sawed itself out of existence
A land-looker named Darwin Knight found a stand of premium white pine here in 1874, named the town for the Buddhist word for highest heaven, and watched eleven sawmills cut it all down.
Read this note ->Next steps
What to check next in Lake 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 ->
Page feedback
See something wrong or unclear?
Send a note about this page. The page address will be included automatically.
Page feedback
Send a note
The page you're on will be included automatically.