County file · Michigan · Seat: Charlevoix
Charlevoix County home appraisals
Water sets the price in Charlevoix County. About 70% of its 1,390 square miles is water, and frontage on Lake Michigan, Lake Charlevoix, Walloon Lake or Beaver Island drives the top of the market. Zillow's typical county value was $413,637 in September 2026, up 3.5% year over year. The Census survey for 2020 to 2024 put the median owner estimate at $276,800. On census day 2020, 35.4% of the county's 17,451 housing units were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes.
$413,637Zillow typical home value, Charlevoix County, September 2026
$276,800Median value, owner occupied homes, ACS 2020 to 2024 (Census Reporter)
35.4%Share of housing units vacant, 2020 census (Wikipedia)
$541,2872026 FHA one unit loan limit, Charlevoix County (homebuyer.com)
Market files in Charlevoix County
CharlevoixCharlevoix sits on an isthmus between Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix, and few of its 2.05 square miles are far from either.Open market file →Boyne CityBoyne City's biggest asset is the east end of Lake Charlevoix, where the Boyne River enters the main basin.Open market file →East JordanTwo numbers frame East Jordan.Open market file →IrontonEveline Township holds most of Lake Charlevoix's south shore, and its owners put their median home value at $459,100 in the Census survey for 2020 to 2024, well above the county's $276,800.Open market file →Horton BayBay Township occupies the land between Lake Charlevoix and Walloon Lake, and owners there estimated a median value of $368,000 in the Census survey for 2020 to 2024.Open market file →Walloon LakeAt the top of the regional lake market, ZIP 49796 at Walloon Lake had a typical Zillow value of $1,053,267 in August 2026, up 11.1% in a year.Open market file →Boyne FallsBoyne Mountain Resort, just southeast of the village, shapes the Boyne Falls market more than any lake does.Open market file →Beaver IslandEverything that reaches Beaver Island comes by a two hour ferry or a 15 minute flight from Charlevoix, 32 miles away.Open market file →Hayes TownshipHayes Township runs along Lake Michigan between Charlevoix and Petoskey, with Lake Charlevoix on its southern edge.Open market file →
Common questions
What is the 2026 FHA loan limit in Charlevoix County?
The 2026 FHA limit for a one unit home in Charlevoix County is $541,287, and the conforming limit is $832,750, according to homebuyer.com's county table. Zillow reported a countywide median sale price of $495,833 for August 2026, which leaves little room under the FHA ceiling for a buyer planning a small down payment.
Why are Census and Zillow values so far apart in this county?
They measure different things. The Census figure, $276,800 for 2020 to 2024, comes from owners who live in their homes and is pooled over five years. Zillow's index, $413,637 in September 2026, models current value across all homes, second homes included. With 35.4% of units vacant on census day 2020, many lake houses never enter the Census median.