Custer Township, Mason County, Michigan
Custer Township is a Michigan township in Mason County, home to about 1,300 people.
Custer Township sits in the heart of Mason County, in West Michigan, in farm country along the Pere Marquette River. Its history runs deeper than the surrounding farm towns: an 1855 federal treaty set aside a reservation that took in Custer and Eden townships for the bands who became the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, who built a community known as Indian Town on the Pere Marquette near present-day Custer. The land promises were never made secure, and the tribe is now based up the road in Manistee.
Population
~1,300
Type
township
Home tax rate
25.3–27.8 mills
School districts
3
What would you like to know?
Explore Custer Township
What it's like — the place, local stories, and what's worth knowing about the community.
Get to know it →Moving or buying here?
The property-tax pop-up, the homebuyer calculator, school-district rates, and the local rules to check.
See the practical stuff →Get to know it
About Custer Township
Most homes out here use private wells and septic systems rather than municipal lines, so a water test and a septic inspection belong on any buyer's list. The township can levy special assessments on benefited properties, and Michigan property taxes come in two bills a year. The notes below cover both the tribal history and the practical details.
More about Custer Township
Porch Note
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians and Mason County
The 1855 reservation tied the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians to Custer and Eden townships, where Indian Town stood near the Pere Marquette River.
Read this note →Porch Note
The Badger still sails: Mason County's working steamship
Mason County's Ludington is home port of the SS Badger — the last coal-fired steamship in America, a National Historic Landmark that ferries cars to Wisconsin all summer.
Read this note →The practical stuff
Moving or buying in Custer Township
The seller's tax bill may not be your tax bill.
2025 property-tax snapshot
- Primary home (PRE)
- 25.2551 mills - 27.8109 mills
- Other property / non-homestead
- 43.2551 mills - 45.8109 mills
- School districts available
- 3 in Custer Township
One mill means $1 per $1,000 of Taxable Value. Rate rows come from the official 2025 Michigan Treasury report. Last reviewed June 8, 2026.
What these local words mean
- Primary home (PRE)
- A home you own and live in as your main home. PRE stands for Principal Residence Exemption and can lower the school operating tax.
- Non-homestead
- Property that is not treated as the owner's main home, such as a rental, vacation home, or second home.
- Assessor
- The local office that estimates and records property values and exemptions.
- Treasurer
- The local office that collects property tax payments and can confirm bill timing.
Michigan homebuyer tax calculator
See the tax bill after you buy.
Where is the house?
Pick the county, city or township, and school district. We use the official 2025 tax rates published by Michigan Treasury.
Not sure of the school district? Check the property listing. It is usually under "Schools."
Need to double-check the exact parcel? Use the official state estimator at treas-secure.state.mi.us/ptestimator or call the local treasurer. Rates can change across city, township, village, and school district lines, so the exact parcel matters.
What buyers in Custer Township should know
Michigan property taxes start with Taxable Value, not the price you paid for the home. Local millage rates are applied to that number.
While the same owner keeps the home, Proposal A caps how much Taxable Value can rise each year. When the home sells, that cap usually comes off. This is called uncapping.
After uncapping, the buyer's Taxable Value usually moves closer to State Equalized Value, or SEV. SEV is often about half of the home's market value.
Bottom line: a longtime owner may have been taxed on an older, capped number. After you buy, the taxable number may reset higher, and your first full-year tax bill may be much higher than the seller's.
In Custer Township, your rate can vary by parcel. The school district tied to the property matters, and 3 school districts cover Custer Township.
For a primary home with PRE, Michigan's main-home exemption, rates currently run about 25.3 to 27.8 mills. Without PRE, non-homestead rates run about 43.3 to 45.8 mills. The calculator uses the exact local rates.
If this will be your main home, make sure the Principal Residence Exemption, or PRE, is handled with the local assessor. PRE is Michigan's main-home property tax exemption. It can remove up to 18 school operating mills. Rentals, vacation homes, and second homes usually use the non-homestead rate instead.
School districts in this area
Mason County Centra
Primary home (PRE) 25.4339 mills · non-homestead 43.4339 mills
Mason County Easter
Primary home (PRE) 25.2551 mills · non-homestead 43.2551 mills
Mason County Easter (Village of Custer)
Primary home (PRE) 27.8109 mills · non-homestead 45.8109 mills
Local rules and costs to check
Note-sized practical catches tied to Custer Township: taxes, property rules, permits, local costs, or other things worth checking before you decide.
Porch Note
Wells and septic in Mason County: what buyers should know
Mason County does not require point-of-sale well and septic inspections, so rural buyers should order their own checks.
Read this note →Porch Note
Buying in a township? Watch for special assessments on top of your taxes
Michigan township buyers should check for special assessments that can add separate road, sewer, water, lighting, sidewalk, or drain charges.
Read this note →Porch Note
In Michigan, you get two property-tax bills a year — not one
Most Michigan property owners get separate summer and winter tax bills, with local rules deciding what lands on each bill.
Read this note →Nearby places
Other Michigan Porch pages in Mason County — handy when you're comparing local tax rates, school districts, or nearby communities.
Next steps
What to check next for Custer Township
Get oriented here, then choose the next practical guide, calculator, or nearby place.
County
Open Mason County
See the county page for other cities, townships, villages, local notes, and the county-wide tax snapshot.
Open county page →Calculator
Run a buyer tax estimate
Use the Michigan homebuyer tax calculator if you want to compare a different place or school district.
Open calculator →Tax break
Understand PRE
Learn who qualifies for the primary-home tax break and how the deadlines work.
Read PRE guide →Questions buyers ask
Is this an exact number? +
No. It is a strong estimate based on Michigan's published 2025 tax rates for your area. Your actual bill depends on what the local assessor decides your home is worth, called the SEV. Use this to plan your budget, not to lock in an exact figure.
When will my higher tax kick in? +
The first calendar year after you close. Close in June 2026, and the seller's tax bill usually comes through for 2026. Your new popped-up bill arrives in 2027.
What's PRE? +
PRE is Michigan's primary-home tax break. If you own the home and live there as your main home, it can remove up to 18 mills of local school operating tax from the bill. Rentals, vacation homes, and second homes do not get it. File Form 2368 with the local assessor by June 1 for the summer bill or November 1 for the winter bill.
What are mills? +
Mills are the tax rate. One mill means $1 of tax for every $1,000 of Taxable Value. A 40-mill rate means about $40 per $1,000 of Taxable Value. Different areas have different rates because county, city or township, school, library, public safety, parks, and other local taxes are stacked together.
What's the inflation multiplier? +
It is the yearly number Michigan uses to cap Taxable Value increases while the same owner keeps the home. Think of it as the speed limit for Taxable Value. For the 2026 tax year, the multiplier is 1.027, or 2.7%. When a home sells, that cap usually resets.
Are there ways to avoid the pop-up? +
A few, mostly family transfers. Parent to child, spouse to spouse, sibling to sibling, and some grandparent transfers may avoid the reset if the home stays residential. For family transfers, talk to a Michigan real estate attorney.
Why is my number different from the tax history on a listing? +
Most tax history pages show what the current owner paid. That is often based on a protected, lower taxable value. This calculator estimates what your taxable value becomes after Michigan's uncapping rule.
Page feedback
See something wrong or unclear?
Send a note about this page. The page address will be included automatically.
Page feedback
Send a note
The page you're on will be included automatically.