Isabella County, Michigan Housing Market

In Isabella County, Michigan, the median home value is $170,400, with a median monthly rent of $913. This places Isabella County at #1798 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #47 within Michigan.

Median Home Value $170,400
Median Rent $913/mo
Owner Occupancy 61.8%
Price/Rent Ratio 15.6

📈 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 Isabella County rose +5.9% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

18,219
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $982
  • Establishments: 1,380
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

90
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 88
  • Multi-family: 2
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+1250
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 24,169 (avg $66,679)
  • Outflow: 22,919 (avg $67,116)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

📍 Sub-Market Activity

Top 6 active ZIP codes in Isabella County · Latest: 2025

# ZIP Code HPI YoY Change Latest Year
1 49305 295.1 +16.54% 2025
2 49310 233.5 +13.06% 2025
3 48829 195.2 -3.11% 2025
4 48893 250.9 +6.61% 2025
5 48858 194.3 +5.75% 2025
6 48878 173.4 -9.18% 2024

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 Isabella County Compares

MetricIsabella CountyMichigan AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $170,400 $197,292 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $913 $905 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 61.8% 80.2% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 15.6 17.9 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Isabella County is 13.6% below the Michigan state average and 25.2% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $913/month is 0.9% above the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 15.6, the buy-vs-rent decision in Isabella County is balanced. Whether buying or renting makes more sense depends on your time horizon, down payment capacity, and local market conditions.

Isabella County has an owner-occupancy rate of 61.8%, compared to 80.2% in Michigan and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more renter-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Wexford County Michigan $170,400 $897
Missaukee County Michigan $170,400 $891
Genesee County New York $170,500 $929
Ashland County Wisconsin $170,300 $721
McDuffie County Georgia $170,200 $792

Other Counties in Michigan

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Wexford County $170,400 $897 80.9%
Missaukee County $170,400 $891 84.9%
Keweenaw County $169,800 $688 90.7%
Shiawassee County $171,600 $899 80.1%
Sanilac County $168,300 $807 82.6%

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).