County file · Michigan · Seat: Ludington
Mason County home appraisals
Mason County home values split along the water. The Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 survey puts the county's median owner value at $219,600, while Zillow's typical value stood at $267,052 in September 2026. Lake Michigan frontage, Hamlin Lake and the Ludington harbor pull prices up near the coast. Farm towns along US 10 to the east, such as Scottville, Custer and Walhalla, trade for much less. About 60 percent of the county's 1,242 square miles is water.
$219,600Median value of owner occupied homes, Census QuickFacts, 2020 to 2024 ACS
$267,052Mason County typical home value, Zillow, September 2026
29,052Residents, 2020 census (Census QuickFacts)
$541,2872026 FHA one unit loan limit, Mason County, Homebuyer.com
Market files in Mason County
LudingtonLudington homes trade well above the city's census figure.Open market file →Pere Marquette TownshipAround Ludington, the township ring carries the higher census numbers.Open market file →Hamlin LakeHamlin Township's median owner value was $281,400 in the 2020 to 2024 survey, according to Census Reporter, and Hamlin Lake explains much of that.Open market file →Epworth HeightsEpworth Heights is a 270 acre summer resort of 228 privately owned cottages on Lake Michigan, per the Epworth Assembly.Open market file →ScottvilleScottville sits about 8 miles east of Ludington and costs far less.Open market file →CusterCuster is a village of 272 on US 10, three miles east of Scottville.Open market file →FountainFountain has the lowest Zillow figure among Mason County's towns, a typical $176,459 in September 2026, up 4.5% in a year.Open market file →Free SoilStill an incorporated village, Free Soil had 158 residents in 2020.Open market file →WalhallaWalhalla and the rest of Branch Township sit about 17 miles east of Ludington on US 10, where prices run well below the county median of $219,600.Open market file →
Common questions
What is the 2026 FHA loan limit in Mason County?
Homebuyer.com lists $541,287 as the 2026 FHA limit for a one unit home in Mason County, and $832,750 as the conforming limit for a conventional loan. Few Mason County homes approach either number. Zillow's typical county value was $267,052 in September 2026, and Ludington's median sale price was $354,000 in August 2026.
Do Mason County towns regulate short term rentals?
Some do, and the rules differ by town. Ludington requires a city license for stays of 28 days or less, with a $500 application and a $1,500 license under its 2023 fees. Hamlin Township began taking permit applications on September 2, 2025, charging $1,000 for a permit good for three years. Check the township that holds the parcel before you count on rental income.