Clare County, Michigan Housing Market

In Clare County, Michigan, the median home value is $133,800, with a median monthly rent of $765. This places Clare County at #2453 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #78 within Michigan.

Median Home Value $133,800
Median Rent $765/mo
Owner Occupancy 86.9%
Price/Rent Ratio 14.6

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

📊 Recent Market Momentum (FHFA HPI)

FHFA House Price Index — All-Transactions, Annual (2000 = 100) · Latest: 2025

💡 Year-over-Year Trend: Home prices in Clare County rose +13.3% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

6,152
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $953
  • Establishments: 592
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

23
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 23
  • Multi-family: 0
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+795
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 12,375 (avg $52,801)
  • Outflow: 11,580 (avg $52,556)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

📍 Sub-Market Activity

Top 7 active ZIP codes in Clare County · Latest: 2025

# ZIP Code HPI YoY Change Latest Year
1 48632 255.0 +33.12% 2025
2 48622 240.0 +16.57% 2025
3 49665 187.4 -14.60% 2025
4 48624 208.4 +4.83% 2025
5 48625 220.1 +10.48% 2025
6 48617 227.1 +7.32% 2025
7 48612 189.4 +4.40% 2025

Source: FHFA HPI for Five-Digit ZIP Codes (All-Transactions Index, 2000 = 100).
This product uses FHFA Data but is neither endorsed nor certified by FHFA.

How Clare County Compares

MetricClare CountyMichigan AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $133,800 $197,292 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $765 $905 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 86.9% 80.2% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 14.6 17.9 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Clare County is 32.2% below the Michigan state average and 41.2% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $765/month is 15.5% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 14.6, buying a home in Clare County is generally more favorable than renting for those planning to stay long-term. A ratio below 15 typically signals that purchasing is financially advantageous over a multi-year horizon.

Clare County has an owner-occupancy rate of 86.9%, compared to 80.2% in Michigan and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more homeowner-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Cass County Indiana $133,800 $783
Mitchell County Kansas $133,800 $604
Lake County Michigan $133,900 $875
Moultrie County Illinois $134,000 $804
Greenup County Kentucky $134,000 $860

Other Counties in Michigan

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Lake County $133,900 $875 82.0%
Baraga County $138,100 $616 78.5%
Schoolcraft County $141,800 $705 86.6%
Oscoda County $125,500 $681 87.2%
Iosco County $142,200 $719 82.1%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-Year Estimates (2017–2024). Variables: B25077 (Median Home Value), B25064 (Median Gross Rent), B25003 (Tenure). Data collected on 2026-10-14. The price-to-rent ratio is calculated as Median Home Value ÷ (Median Monthly Rent × 12).