Politics
Grand Rapids Property Assessment Adjustments Compared to Other Michigan Cities
Grand Rapids homeowners will receive new property tax notices in August reflecting updated market values set by the city assessor under the 2026 assessment cycle.
How we reported this
Mayor Rosalynn Bliss announced on July 7 that the city assessor will apply 2025 sale prices to all residential parcels in Kent County for the coming tax year. The change affects roughly 72,000 single-family homes and follows state guidelines in Public Act 206 of 1893 as amended.
Why the update arrives now
Property values in Grand Rapids rose 11 percent between 2024 and 2025 according to the Kent County Equalization Department report released in May. The city must complete its triennial review before the July 31 deadline set by the Michigan State Tax Commission. Neighboring cities including Wyoming and Kentwood completed their reviews last month and mailed notices in June.
Residents in the Eastown and Creston neighborhoods will see the largest shifts because median sale prices there reached $312,000 last year. A homeowner whose house last sold for $245,000 in 2022 now faces an assessed value based on the higher 2025 figure. This calculation determines the taxable value used for the December 2026 tax bill sent by the city treasurer.
Local budget numbers and comparisons
The city’s 2026 general fund budget adopted in March projects $48.3 million in property tax collections. That figure assumes the new assessments and a millage rate of 12.3 mills, unchanged from 2025. By comparison, the city of Lansing reported a 9 percent value increase and kept its rate at 11.8 mills, while Ann Arbor applied a 14 percent increase and lowered its rate by 0.4 mills to offset the growth.
City finance staff will mail notices by August 15. Property owners have 30 days to appeal values to the March Board of Review. The Kent County treasurer collects the taxes and distributes shares to Grand Rapids Public Schools, Kent Intermediate School District, and the city itself.