Manistee 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
14
School districts
7
Primary home (PRE) rates, for homes with Michigan's Principal Residence Exemption, range from 23.8039 mills to 43.637 mills.
Other property, often called non-homestead, usually means rentals, vacation homes, and second homes. Those rates range from 41.8039 mills to 61.637 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
Manistee 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
Manistee 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
Manistee 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
Manistee 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 Manistee County
City
Manistee
1 school district available.
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Township
Arcadia Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Bear lake Township
3 school districts available.
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Township
Brown Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Cleon Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Dickson Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Filer Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Manistee Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Maple Grove Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Marilla Township
3 school districts available.
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Township
Norman Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Onekama Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Pleasanton Township
4 school districts available.
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Township
Springdale Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Stronach Township
3 school districts available.
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Porch Notes
Local notes from Manistee County
Stories, practical notes, and local details tied to places in this county.
Manistee County · History and culture
The Ramsdell Theatre, where James Earl Jones first walked on stage
Manistee's lumber-baron opera house opened in 1903 with a green-and-gold horseshoe balcony and a painted dome, and a young James Earl Jones learned his craft on its stage.
Read this note ->Manistee County · History and culture
The City of Milwaukee carried railroad cars across Lake Michigan
The 1931 City of Milwaukee carried loaded railroad cars across Lake Michigan and is the sole surviving pre-1940, classic-period Great Lakes car ferry.
Read this note ->Manistee County · History and culture
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, recognized again in 1994
An Odawa nation tied to the Manistee River for centuries had its federal status quietly erased, then won it back in 1994 — and today runs its own government and a resort north of town.
Read this note ->Manistee County · History and culture
Guardian Angels Church and the 170-foot tower over Manistee
Built from 1888 to 1890 for a largely Irish and German congregation, Guardian Angels is a Romanesque landmark with a 170-foot steeple.
Read this note ->Manistee County · History and culture
Manistee's North Pierhead Light and its rare wind-proof catwalk
A little red 1927 lighthouse guards the mouth of the Manistee River, reached by an elevated steel catwalk — one of only a handful left in Michigan after most were torn down.
Read this note ->Manistee County · History and culture
Manistee's Sleighbell Parade, where a horse team pulls a 30-foot tree upright
Every December, downtown Manistee bans electric lights and recorded music for a candlelit Victorian Christmas parade whose finale is a Belgian draft team standing a 30-foot tree upright on River Street.
Read this note ->Next steps
What to check next in Manistee 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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