Oceana 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
16
School districts
13
Primary home (PRE) rates, for homes with Michigan's Principal Residence Exemption, range from 24.713 mills to 45.1768 mills.
Other property, often called non-homestead, usually means rentals, vacation homes, and second homes. Those rates range from 42.713 mills to 63.1768 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
Oceana 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
Oceana 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
Oceana 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
Oceana 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 Oceana County
City
Hart
1 school district available.
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Township
Benona Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Claybanks Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Colfax Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Crystal Township
3 school districts available.
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Township
Elbridge Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Ferry Township
3 school districts available.
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Township
Golden Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Grant Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Greenwood Township
3 school districts available.
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Township
Hart Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Leavitt Township
3 school districts available.
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Township
Newfield Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Otto Township
3 school districts available.
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Township
Pentwater Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Shelby Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Weare Township
5 school districts available.
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Porch Notes
Local notes from Oceana County
Stories, practical notes, and local details tied to places in this county.
Oceana County · Outdoors
Little Sable Point: the bare brick light below the dunes
South of the Silver Lake dunes, the 1874 Little Sable Point Lighthouse rises more than 100 feet of unpainted red brick and still shines its original Paris-made Fresnel lens.
Read this note ->Oceana County · Rules and licenses
Renting your Pentwater cottage by the week? You need a license on the door
The Village of Pentwater requires a yearly short-term rental license that must hang by the front door, caps occupancy, bans camping on the lot, and can be pulled after three violations.
Read this note ->Oceana County · Outdoors
Charles Mears State Park: a daughter's gift of beach
The Lake Michigan beach park at Pentwater began in 1920 when Carrie Mears deeded her late father's shoreline to the state — named for the lumberman who dug the channel beside it.
Read this note ->Oceana County · History and culture
John Gurney Park: a soldier's memorial that became a lakeside campground
Hart's lakeside park honors a young West Point officer killed in Cuba in 1898; his parents gave the land, and a 1914 stone arch still marks the entrance to what became an auto tourist camp.
Read this note ->Oceana County · History and culture
Mac Wood's: the dune ride that started with a failed farm
A failed sand farm near Silver Lake turned into Mac Wood's Dune Rides, running tourists over the dunes since 1930 — still in the family, still the only ride permitted on the sand.
Read this note ->Oceana County · History and culture
Crystal Valley: a blacksmith, clear streams, and a town name
Crystal Township took shape around Jared Gay's 1861 blacksmith shop, and his wife Catherine named it for the clear streams running through it — the first town meeting was held in that very shop.
Read this note ->Next steps
What to check next in Oceana 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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