County file · Michigan · Seat: Manistee
Manistee County home appraisals
Water shapes Manistee County home values. Of the county's 1,281 square miles, 738 are water, per Wikipedia, and the Lake Michigan shore, Portage Lake, Bear Lake and Manistee Lake hold much of its priced housing. Zillow's typical county value was $260,685 in September 2026, up 10.0% over the year. The census median owner value for 2020 to 2024 was $182,200. Inland, near the national forest, medians drop, to $116,800 in Maple Grove Township.
$260,685Zillow typical home value, Manistee County, up 10.0% in a year, September 30, 2026
$182,200Median owner occupied home value, Census QuickFacts, ACS 2020 to 2024
15,713Housing units, against 10,561 households, ACS 2020 to 2024 (Census Reporter)
$541,2872026 FHA one unit loan limit, Manistee County (homebuyer.com)
Market files in Manistee County
ManisteeManistee sits on an isthmus between Lake Michigan and Manistee Lake, and the river channel through town sets much of its housing character.Open market file →EastlakeEastlake is a small village on the east shore of Manistee Lake, facing the city of Manistee across the water.Open market file →Filer CityFiler Charter Township wraps the south shore of Manistee Lake and runs west to Lake Michigan.Open market file →Onekama and Portage LakePortage Lake drives Onekama.Open market file →ArcadiaArcadia had the highest Zillow typical value of any town listed for Manistee County, $421,555 in June 2026.Open market file →Bear LakeA shallow inland lake of about 1,744 acres, most of its shore lined with homes and cottages, defines Bear Lake.Open market file →KalevaKaleva prices sit well below the county's lakeshore towns.Open market file →CopemishCopemish depends on what is nearby more than what is in town.Open market file →BrethrenNational forest covers most of Dickson Township, leaving Brethren a small private land base along the Manistee River.Open market file →Wellston and Tippy DamRecreation homes shape Norman Township.Open market file →
Common questions
What is the 2026 FHA loan limit in Manistee County?
The 2026 FHA limit for a one unit home in Manistee County is $541,287, and the conforming limit for conventional loans is $832,750, per homebuyer.com. Zillow's typical county value of $260,685 in September 2026 sits well below the FHA figure. A lakefront purchase priced above it would need a conventional loan, and one above $832,750 would need a jumbo loan.
Why do census and Zillow values differ so much here?
They measure different things. The census median of $182,200 comes from owner occupants estimating their own homes across 2020 to 2024, and it leaves out second homes nobody lives in year round. The ACS counted 15,713 housing units but only 10,561 households, a gap of about 5,150. Zillow models all homes monthly and reported $260,685 for September 2026.