49685 Property Tax Rate
Traverse City, Michigan · Part of Grand Traverse County
Effective Tax Rate
0.96%
22.2% above state avgMedian Annual Tax
$2,964
$247/mo escrow
Estimate Your Tax
Annual Tax
$2,964
Monthly
$247
Eff. Rate
0.96%
Buyer decision brief
What ZIP 49685 means for your housing budget
Use this ZIP page to compare recurring tax burden before you compare listing prices. The numbers below are Census ZCTA estimates, so they are strongest for neighborhood comparison and weakest for parcel-specific tax planning.
Monthly escrow signal
$247/mo
Based on median annual tax paid
State context
0.26 percentage points below the Michigan average
Michigan average: 1.22%
Data confidence
High confidenceThe Census margin of error is $185, about 6% of the median tax estimate.
Verify before you offer
- Confirm parcel assessed value with Grand Traverse County assessor.
- Check homestead, senior, veteran, and disability exemptions.
- Ask whether purchase triggers reassessment or value-cap reset.
- Review school district and special assessment boundaries.
Lower-rate similar ZIPs
This is informational content, not tax, legal, or mortgage advice. Local assessor records remain the source of truth for a specific property.
Data confidence ledger
Can you trust ZIP 49685 for comparison?
ACS vintage
2019-2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
Five-year Census ZCTA estimates.
ZCTA caveat
Census area, not parcel boundary
USPS ZIP routes and taxing districts can differ inside the same area.
Field completeness
3/3 required fields
Median tax, home value, and derived rate are present.
MOE status
Strong ACS confidence
$185 tax MOE, 6% of the median tax estimate.
Last site refresh
March 10, 2026
Dataset and page-quality audit run locally before publication.
County fallback
County advisory available
Grand Traverse County is used for assessor verification and broader context.
Tax bill anatomy
What can change your actual bill in ZIP 49685
Use the ZIP estimate to compare neighborhoods, then verify these parcel-level inputs before relying on a payment estimate.
Assessed value
The ZCTA median home value is $309,200, but your bill starts with the local assessed value for a specific parcel.
Effective rate
The displayed rate is 0.96%, derived from median tax paid divided by median home value.
Exemptions
Homestead, senior, veteran, disability, and local exemptions can reduce taxable value. Confirm eligibility before estimating escrow.
Reassessment
A purchase can change assessed value depending on Michigan and county rules. Ask how sale price affects the next assessment cycle.
Escrow impact
The median tax paid in this ZCTA equals about $247 per month before insurance, HOA dues, or special assessments.
Assessor verification
Grand Traverse County assessor or tax collector records are the source of truth for parcel taxes, appeal windows, and exemptions.
How ZIP 49685 Compares
Median Annual Property Tax
ZIP 49685
0.96%
Effective rate
Michigan Avg
1.22%
Effective rate
National Avg
1.10%
Effective rate
State Ranking
Property Tax Rank in Michigan
Lower than 80% of ZIP codes in Michigan(20th percentile, 957 ZIPs compared)
Property Tax Analysis
Property Tax Insights for ZIP 49685
Property owners in ZIP code 49685 (Traverse City, Michigan) pay a median of $2,964/year in property taxes on homes valued at $309,200. This translates to an effective tax rate of 0.96%, which is 22% below the Michigan state average of 1.22%.
The monthly property tax burden for a median-valued home in 49685 is approximately $247, which factors into escrow payments on mortgages. This ZIP code is located within Grand Traverse County. This is $538 more than the Michigan average of $2,426/year.
Compared to similar ZIP codes in Michigan, 49685 has higher property taxes. ZIP codes with similar effective rates include 49436 (0.96%) and 49428 (0.96%).
In Traverse City, property taxes represent approximately 3.6% of the median household income of $82,639, providing context for the relative tax burden on homeowners in this area.
Proposal A reassesses your home to current market value upon purchase, eliminating the previous owner's inflation-capped increase structure. The Principle Residence Exemption (PRE) exempts primary residences from school operating taxes — apply to the Grand Traverse County Assessor by March 1 of the year following purchase. Request a PRE application from the Grand Traverse County Assessor immediately after closing and submit it before March 1 to activate school tax savings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the property tax rate in ZIP code 49685?
How much are property taxes in Traverse City, MI (49685)?
How does ZIP 49685 compare to the Michigan average?
What is the median home value in ZIP 49685?
What county is ZIP code 49685 in?
Margin of Error
The median property tax estimate for this ZIP code has a margin of error of ±$185. ZCTA-level data has wider margins than county-level estimates due to smaller sample sizes.
County-Level Data
ZIP code 49685 is part of Grand Traverse County, Michigan. View the full county profile for broader context and more data.
View Grand Traverse County on TaxByCounty →Explore Traverse City, MI
View all 4 ZIP codes in Traverse City with property tax comparisons.
View Traverse City Property Tax Rates →Why compare these ZIPs?
Better comparison set for ZIP 49685
Each ZIP highlights a homebuyer tradeoff: lower rate, stronger value context, shared county rules, city boundary changes, or nearby missing data.
49684
Traverse City, MI
0.04 percentage points lower than ZIP 49685.
Rate
0.92%
Tax
$3,443
Quality
89
49696
Traverse City, MI
0.03 percentage points lower than ZIP 49685.
Rate
0.93%
Tax
$2,696
Quality
96
49649
Kingsley, MI
0.16 percentage points lower than ZIP 49685.
Rate
0.79%
Tax
$1,961
Quality
89
49690
Williamsburg, MI
0.10 percentage points lower than ZIP 49685.
Rate
0.85%
Tax
$2,810
Quality
89
49620
Buckley, MI
0.03 percentage points lower than ZIP 49685.
Rate
0.93%
Tax
$1,929
Quality
89
49637
Grawn, MI
0.02 percentage points lower than ZIP 49685.
Rate
0.93%
Tax
$2,131
Quality
84
49757
Mackinac Island, MI
0.05 percentage points lower than ZIP 49685.
Rate
0.91%
Tax
$7,589
Quality
69
49636
Glen Arbor, MI
0.35 percentage points lower than ZIP 49685.
Rate
0.61%
Tax
$4,563
Quality
82
Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates (ZCTA level). ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census approximations of USPS ZIP codes.
Estimates are informational only and should not be used as financial or legal advice.