Market file · Manistee County, Michigan

Wellston and Tippy Dam home appraisals

Norman Township

Recreation homes shape Norman Township. Census Reporter counted 1,576 housing units but only 689 households there in 2020 to 2024. Zillow's typical Wellston value was $173,064 in September 2026, up 8.9% in a year, and the township's census median owner value was $156,900.

$173,064Zillow typical home value, Wellston, September 30, 2026

$156,900Median owner occupied home value, Norman Township, ACS 2020 to 2024 (Census Reporter)

1,576Housing units in Norman Township, against 689 households, ACS 2020 to 2024 (Census Reporter)

1,567Township population, 2020 census (Wikipedia)

Salmon runs below Tippy Dam

Tippy Dam, finished in 1918 and operated by Consumers Energy, holds back the Manistee River just over the line in Dickson Township, per Wikipedia. The water below the dam is known for trout, steelhead and fall king salmon, and the DNR runs Tippy Dam State Recreation Area. About 24,600 bats use the spillway chamber in winter. The Pine River enters Tippy Reservoir from Norman Township.

Fall king salmon below Tippy Dam can top 20 pounds.

Wellston, Dublin and the national forest

Wellston grew along the Chicago and West Michigan Railroad, got a post office in 1892 and had 254 people in 2020. It sits just south of M-55, about 20 miles east of Manistee and 29 west of Cadillac. Dublin lies in the township's south near Sand Lake, partly in Lake County. Norman Township covers 72.3 square miles, double a standard township, with Wellston and Dublin both inside the Manistee National Forest.

Areas, lakes and neighborhoods in this file

Wellston
Dublin
Norman Township
Tippy Reservoir
Pine River
Sand Lake
Crystal Lake (Wellston)
Cranberry Lake
M-55 corridor

Landmarks around Wellston and Tippy Dam

Tippy DamDam on the Manistee River
Pine River (Manistee River tributary)River

Common questions

How are cabins near Wellston appraised?

Against other cabins and seasonal homes, since Norman Township had 1,576 housing units but only 689 households in 2020 to 2024, per Census Reporter. The appraiser notes well and septic, heat source, winter road access and condition, and looks for sales with similar use. A cabin on a seasonal road is not compared with a year round house in town without adjustment.

Is Tippy Dam in Wellston?

Not quite. Tippy Dam sits in Dickson Township, about 20 miles east of the Manistee River's mouth, per Wikipedia, and Tippy Dam Road links it to Wellston. Consumers Energy has operated the dam since it was finished in 1918. The state recreation area around it is managed by the Michigan DNR.