Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Houghton County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $41,667 | $134,610 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 2.6% | 9.4% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $767 | $1,084 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 2.6% | 4.5% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Houghton County is about 69% lower than in Michigan. Rent is about 29% lower than the Michigan average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Both home prices and rent are rising in Houghton County, up about 2.6% and 2.6% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
Median rent in Houghton County rose about 20.6% between 2015 and 2023, from $636 to $767. Over the same span, rent in Michigan rose about 38.5%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 0.7 yearly household incomes in Houghton County.
Buying the median-priced home in Houghton County costs roughly 4.5 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Houghton County. The price-to-rent ratio in Michigan is about 10.3.
| Metric | Houghton County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $41,667 | $134,610 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $57,053 | $71,353 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 0.7 | 1.9 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Houghton County fell about 30.1%, while median household income rose about 78.2% between 2009 and 2023 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Houghton County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 54.0% | 64.1% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 21.9% | 23.8% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 24.1% | 12.2% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 15.0 | 16.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2011 | 2010 | 2011 |
Houghton County has a homeownership rate of 54.0%, lower than the Michigan average of 64.1%. Its housing vacancy rate is 24.1%, compared with 12.2% in Michigan.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Houghton County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.34 people | 2.43 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1960 | 1972 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Houghton County was built around 1960. On average, 2.3 people live in a home with about 5.8 rooms, staying for about 15.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Houghton County, Michigan.
What is the median home price in Houghton County, Michigan?
The median home price in Houghton County, Michigan is $41,667, lower than the Michigan average of $134,610.
What is the average home price in Houghton County, Michigan?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Houghton County, Michigan?
The median gross rent in Houghton County, Michigan is $767 per month, lower than the Michigan average of $1,084.
What was the median gross rent in Houghton County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Houghton County, Michigan was $639 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Houghton County, Michigan?
The price-to-rent ratio in Houghton County, Michigan is about 4.5, meaning it would take roughly 4.5 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Houghton County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Houghton County, Michigan?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Houghton County, up about 2.6% and 2.6% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Houghton County, Michigan?
54.0% of households in Houghton County, Michigan own their home, lower than the Michigan average of 64.1%.
What is the vacancy rate in Houghton County, Michigan?
The housing vacancy rate in Houghton County, Michigan is 24.1%, higher than the Michigan average of 12.2%.