Delaware Township, Michigan
Delaware Township is a Michigan township in Sanilac County, home to about 776 people.
Delaware Township sits in Sanilac County, in Michigan's Thumb, with the Lake Huron shore on its eastern edge. It's a rural township where farm fields run toward the water — and where, like much of the Thumb, wind turbines now share the skyline with the crops.
Population
~776
Type
township
Home tax rate
21.5–35 mills
School districts
4
What would you like to know?
Explore Delaware 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 Delaware Township
A few things shape buying here. Most homes run on a well and septic system, so test the water and inspect before you close. If you're looking near the lake, check erosion history, public beach rights, and the state's EGLE permit rules for shoreline work. Out in the fields, wind-energy leases, turbines, and local siting rules can affect rural property. And on taxes, townships can add special assessments, village residents pay an extra village layer, and Michigan splits the bill into summer and winter payments. The notes below walk through each.
More about Delaware Township
Porch Note
Ancient carvings and Michigan's quietest coast
Sanilac County holds Michigan's only known Native American rock carvings — the Sanilac Petroglyphs — plus forty miles of unhurried Lake Huron shoreline.
Read this note →Porch Note
The Thumb feeds America its beans
Michigan's Thumb is the nation's powerhouse for navy and black beans, and Tuscola County farmland is at the heart of it.
Read this note →The practical stuff
Moving or buying in Delaware Township
The seller's tax bill may not be your tax bill.
2025 property-tax snapshot
- Primary home (PRE)
- 21.5395 mills - 34.9701 mills
- Other property / non-homestead
- 39.5395 mills - 52.9701 mills
- School districts available
- 4 in Delaware 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 Delaware 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 Delaware Township, your rate can vary by parcel. The school district tied to the property matters, and 4 school districts cover Delaware Township.
For a primary home with PRE, Michigan's main-home exemption, rates currently run about 21.5 to 35 mills. Without PRE, non-homestead rates run about 39.5 to 53 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
Deckerville Comm Schools
Primary home (PRE) 21.5395 mills · non-homestead 39.5395 mills
Harbor Beach Comm S
Primary home (PRE) 26.4967 mills · non-homestead 44.4967 mills
Harbor Beach Comm S (Village of Forestville)
Primary home (PRE) 34.9701 mills · non-homestead 52.9701 mills
Ubly Community Schoo
Primary home (PRE) 26.5196 mills · non-homestead 44.5196 mills
Local rules and costs to check
Note-sized practical catches tied to Delaware Township: taxes, property rules, permits, local costs, or other things worth checking before you decide.
Porch Note
Buying along the Lake Huron shore
Lake Huron shoreline property in Sanilac County can mean erosion history, public-trust beach access, and state permits for work near the water.
Read this note →Porch Note
Wind country — turbines, leases, and who decides
In Michigan's Thumb, wind turbines can affect rural land value, leases, views, local zoning, and state siting decisions.
Read this note →Porch Note
Wells and septic outside town
Outside Sanilac County's cities and villages, most homes rely on private wells and septic systems, so inspections, water tests, and perc tests matter before buying.
Read this note →Porch Note
Live in a Michigan village? You pay an extra layer of property tax
Michigan village residents usually pay village property taxes on top of township taxes, so the village boundary can change a buyer's total rate.
Read this note →Nearby places
Other Michigan Porch pages in Sanilac County — handy when you're comparing local tax rates, school districts, or nearby communities.
Next steps
What to check next for Delaware Township
Get oriented here, then choose the next practical guide, calculator, or nearby place.
County
Open Sanilac 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.
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