Mason 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
15
School districts
11
Primary home (PRE) rates, for homes with Michigan's Principal Residence Exemption, range from 16.3613 mills to 42.9634 mills.
Other property, often called non-homestead, usually means rentals, vacation homes, and second homes. Those rates range from 16.3613 mills to 60.9634 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
Mason 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
Mason 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
Mason 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
Mason 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 Mason County
City
Ludington
1 school district available.
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City
Scottville
1 school district available.
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Township
Amber Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Branch Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Custer Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Eden Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Freesoil Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Grant Township
3 school districts available.
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Township
Hamlin Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Logan Township
3 school districts available.
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Township
Meade Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Pere Marquette Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Riverton Township
4 school districts available.
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Township
Sheridan Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Sherman Township
4 school districts available.
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Township
Summit Township
3 school districts available.
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Township
Victory Township
1 school district available.
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Porch Notes
Local notes from Mason County
Stories, practical notes, and local details tied to places in this county.
Mason County · History and culture
White Pine Village: a frontier town rebuilt under the pines
Two miles south of Ludington, Historic White Pine Village brings together more than 30 buildings and exhibits from Mason County's past.
Read this note ->Mason County · Outdoors
Ludington's breakwater light, built to take a beating
The steel pyramidal lighthouse at the end of Ludington's pier was built in 1924 to shrug off Lake Michigan's waves — and it now leans a few degrees from a 1990s settling.
Read this note ->Mason County · History and culture
Scottville got its name on a coin flip
Scottville was renamed in the 1880s when two businessmen flipped a coin on a downtown corner; Hiram Scott won the toss and put his own name on the town.
Read this note ->Mason County · History and culture
Custer, Michigan, and the year Custer fell
The Mason County community took George Armstrong Custer's name in 1876, the year he died at Little Bighorn; the surrounding township followed in 1878.
Read this note ->Mason County · History and culture
Epworth Heights: the Methodist summer colony on the dunes
On the dunes north of Ludington, Epworth Heights is a private Methodist summer colony founded in 1894, now hundreds of cottages run under an 1889 state resort law.
Read this note ->Mason County · History and culture
Free Soil, Michigan, is named for an antislavery party
Free Soil Township was named in 1848 for the Free Soil Party, the antislavery movement whose slogan was 'free soil, free labor, free men' — years before the Civil War.
Read this note ->Next steps
What to check next in Mason 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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