Ottawa County, Michigan Housing Market Prices
Ottawa County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 87% above the Michigan median More expensive than 88% of counties in Michigan$259,210
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Median rent 7% above the Michigan median More expensive than 91% of counties in Michigan$1,210
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Ottawa County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $259,210 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 9.1% | 8.6% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,210 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.2% | 4.5% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Ottawa County is about 87% higher than in Michigan. Rent is about 7% higher than the Michigan average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Ottawa County, up about 9.1% and 5.2% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Ottawa County rose about 52.8% between 2015 and 2024, from $792 to $1,210. Over the same span, rent in Michigan rose about 44.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 2.9 yearly household incomes in Ottawa County.
Buying the median-priced home in Ottawa County costs roughly 17.9 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Ottawa County. The price-to-rent ratio in Michigan is about 10.2.
| Metric | Ottawa County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $259,210 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $90,732 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 2.9 | 1.9 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Ottawa County rose about 159.2%, while median household income rose about 50.1% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Ottawa County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 75.0% | 64.6% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 19.6% | 23.6% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 5.3% | 11.8% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 15.0 | 16.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2011 | 2010 | 2011 |
Ottawa County has a homeownership rate of 75.0%, higher than the Michigan average of 64.6%. Its housing vacancy rate is 5.3%, compared with 11.8% in Michigan.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Ottawa County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.61 people | 2.42 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1984 | 1972 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 6.4 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Ottawa County was built around 1984. On average, 2.6 people live in a home with about 6.4 rooms, staying for about 15.0 years on average.
Ottawa County, MI Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Ottawa County, MI is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 301,203 residents against a local median of 98,625. Where Ottawa County, MI breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 52% above the local median of $170,833 at $259,210.
Median rent tells the same story from another angle: $1,210 against a local median of $966, 25% above it. The counties themselves sit within $32,256 of each other on median home price, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Ottawa County, MI, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Ottawa County, MI has the highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa County, MI | 301,203 | $259,210 #1/5 | $1,210 #1/5 | 79.3% #4/5 |
| Muskegon County, MI | 175,961 | $145,731 | $1,028 | 78.1% |
| Allegan County, MI | 121,456 | $166,666 | $1,100 | 87.4% |
| Van Buren County, MI | 75,795 | $177,987 | $870 | 80.6% |
| Newaygo County, MI | 50,792 | $175,000 | $904 | 86.5% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Ottawa County, Michigan.
What is the median home price in Ottawa County, Michigan?
The median home price in Ottawa County, Michigan is $259,210, higher than the Michigan average of $138,713.
What is the average home price in Ottawa County, Michigan?
The typical home price in Ottawa County, Michigan, reported as the median sale price, is $259,210. 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 Ottawa County, Michigan?
The median gross rent in Ottawa County, Michigan is $1,210 per month, higher than the Michigan average of $1,129.
What was the median gross rent in Ottawa County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Ottawa County, Michigan was $932 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Ottawa County, Michigan?
The price-to-rent ratio in Ottawa County, Michigan is about 17.9, meaning it would take roughly 17.9 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Ottawa County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Ottawa County, Michigan?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Ottawa County, up about 9.1% and 5.2% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Ottawa County, Michigan?
75.0% of households in Ottawa County, Michigan own their home, higher than the Michigan average of 64.6%.
What is the vacancy rate in Ottawa County, Michigan?
The housing vacancy rate in Ottawa County, Michigan is 5.3%, lower than the Michigan average of 11.8%.
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