County
Otsego County, Michigan
Use this county page to find cities, townships, and villages in Otsego County. Each local page gives you property-tax context, school-district rate ranges, official-source links, nearby places, and any Porch Notes tied to that community.
County snapshot
Cities
1
Townships
9
Villages
0
School districts
6
Primary home (PRE) rates, for homes with Michigan's Principal Residence Exemption, range from 18.5557 mills to 34.9096 mills.
Other property, often called non-homestead, usually means rentals, vacation homes, and second homes. Those rates range from 36.5467 mills to 52.9006 mills.
Rate rows come from the official Michigan Treasury millage-rate reports . Last reviewed June 8, 2026.
Local pages
Places in Otsego County
City
Gaylord
1 school district available.
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Township
Bagley Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Charlton Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Chester Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Corwith Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Dover Township
3 school districts available.
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Township
Elmira Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Hayes Township
1 school district available.
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Township
Livingston Township
2 school districts available.
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Township
Otsego Lake Township
3 school districts available.
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Porch Notes
Local notes from Otsego County
Stories, practical notes, and local details tied to places in this county.
Otsego County · Outdoors
Elk country: the Pigeon River Country State Forest
The Pigeon River Country State Forest is Otsego County's Big Wild, with elk, backcountry roads, trails, rivers, and quiet public land.
Read this note ->Otsego County · Money and taxes
Gaylord has no city income tax
Gaylord does not levy a city income tax, so Otsego County buyers do not need a separate city return.
Read this note ->Otsego County · History and culture
Gaylord, Michigan's "Alpine Village"
Gaylord is Otsego County's Alpine Village, county seat, snowbelt hub, and main shopping and service center.
Read this note ->Otsego County · Outdoors
Otsego Lake
Otsego Lake is the county's namesake lake, with a state park, cottages, year-round homes, and waterfront-buyer details to check.
Read this note ->Otsego County · Outdoors
The high country where the rivers start
Otsego County's rural townships sit on high, rolling headwaters country with snow, forest, farms, and cold-water rivers.
Read this note ->Otsego County · Home and property
Well and septic in Otsego County
Otsego County township buyers should expect private wells and septic systems, with time-of-transfer checks depending on the township.
Read this note ->Next steps
What to check next in Otsego 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.
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Understand uncapping
See why a buyer's first full-year tax bill can differ from the seller's old bill.
Read the guide ->Places
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