Market file · Emmet County, Michigan

Harbor Springs home appraisals

Harbor Springs covers only 1.3 square miles, on what Wikipedia calls the deepest natural harbor on the Great Lakes, and much of its market lies in the townships around it. Zillow's Harbor Springs index hit $573,655 in September 2026, up 11.1% year over year.

$573,655Typical home value, Harbor Springs, Zillow, September 2026

$694,783Median list price, Harbor Springs, Zillow, September 2026

$415,700Median owner occupied value, city, Census Reporter, ACS 2020 to 2024

62Median age in the city, Census Reporter, ACS 2020 to 2024

Asking prices close in on the conforming limit

Zillow's median list price in Harbor Springs was $694,783 at the end of September 2026, while the median sale price a month earlier was $581,067. The 2026 conforming loan limit for a one unit home in Emmet County is $832,750. A sale above that line needs jumbo financing, which narrows the pool of buyers who can close.

Ephraim Shay's hexagonal house still stands in town. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Harbor Point, Wequetonsing and two ski hills

The city is small, and the names buyers ask about sit just outside it. Harbor Point, with the Little Traverse Lighthouse at its tip, is a noncontiguous piece of West Traverse Township. Wequetonsing lies just east of the city in Little Traverse Township. North of town, Pleasantview Township holds Nub's Nob, with 53 runs and 427 feet of vertical, and The Highlands, renamed from Boyne Highlands in 2021, with 55 trails and 525 feet. Census estimates put West Traverse's median owner value at $399,600 and Little Traverse's at $345,400 for 2020 to 2024.

Areas, lakes and neighborhoods in this file

Downtown Harbor Springs
Harbor Point
Wequetonsing
Little Traverse Lighthouse
West Traverse Township
Little Traverse Township
Pleasantview Township
Nub's Nob
The Highlands at Harbor Springs
Stutsmanville

Landmarks around Harbor Springs

Little Traverse LightLighthouse
Little Traverse BayBay on Lake Michigan
The Highlands at Harbor SpringsSki area
Nub's NobSki area
Chief Andrew J. Blackbird HouseHistoric house
Shay Hexagon HouseHistoric house

Common questions

Do I need a license to rent a Harbor Springs home by the week?

The city requires a license for stays of 30 days or less and can fine unlicensed properties. Ordinance 437 set the rules in May 2023 and Ordinance 439 changed renewals on May 20, 2024. In late 2022 the council capped single family district licenses at 61. The city assessor and zoning administrator handles questions at (231) 526-2104.

Which township are the ski areas in?

Both are in Pleasantview Township, north of the city. Nub's Nob has 248 skiable acres about five miles north of Little Traverse Bay. The Highlands, owned by Boyne Resorts, has 385 skiable acres and changed its name from Boyne Highlands in December 2021. Pleasantview counted 918 residents in 2020, and Harbor Springs mailing addresses (ZIP 49740) reach into it.