Market file · Manistee County, Michigan

Manistee home appraisals

Manistee sits on an isthmus between Lake Michigan and Manistee Lake, and the river channel through town sets much of its housing character. Zillow's typical Manistee home value was $270,710 in July 2026, up 9.6% in a year. The census median owner value for 2020 to 2024 was $164,100, with 73.2% of homes owner occupied.

$270,710Zillow typical home value, Manistee, July 31, 2026

$164,100Median owner occupied home value, Census QuickFacts, ACS 2020 to 2024

6,259City population, 2020 census (Census QuickFacts)

$768Median gross rent, Census QuickFacts, ACS 2020 to 2024

Lumber money built the old houses

Manistee grew on lumber. In the 1880s it had more millionaires per capita than any other American city, according to Wikipedia, and over 30 shingle mills once worked the Manistee River. The whole downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places, and a Riverwalk of about 1.5 miles follows the channel. Older houses near downtown usually need comps that weigh age, updates and condition, not just size.

Census QuickFacts puts the mean commute for Manistee workers at 15.2 minutes.

A cap on short term rentals

In July 2025 the city council advanced a short term rental ordinance on a 6 to 1 first vote, with the final vote set for July 15, 2025, per Short Term Rentalz. The draft capped rentals at 165 outside certain zones, leaving downtown and the beaches out of the cap. It set a $100 yearly registration fee and a $150 inspection every three years, and required insurance and a local contact. Buyers counting on rental income should confirm a property's registration status with the city.

Areas, lakes and neighborhoods in this file

Downtown historic district
Manistee Riverwalk
First Street Beach
Manistee Pierhead lights
Manistee Lake west shore
Parkdale
Orchard Beach State Park
Manistee Township

Landmarks around Manistee

Ramsdell TheatreHistoric theater
Vogue TheatreMovie theater
Manistee Pierhead lightsLighthouses
Orchard Beach State ParkState park
USCGC Acacia (WLB-406)Coast Guard ship
Manistee RiverRiver
Manistee LakeInland lake

Common questions

Is Manistee Township part of the city?

They are separate. Manistee Township is its own civil township with 4,022 people in 2020, per Wikipedia, and the city borders it on the southwest. It includes Parkdale on US 31 near the M-55 junction, the village of Eastlake, Orchard Beach State Park and the Oaks Correctional Facility. Census Reporter puts the township's median owner value at $193,900 for 2020 to 2024.

Does bluff erosion matter for homes near Orchard Beach?

It can. Orchard Beach State Park, 201 acres, sits on a sandy bluff about three miles north of the city. High Lake Michigan levels eroded that bluff, and in December 2020 the state moved the park's 1930s limestone pavilion away from the edge, per Wikipedia. An appraiser notes the bluff setting, and a buyer can order a separate shoreline review.