Kalkaska County, Michigan Housing Market

In Kalkaska County, Michigan, the median home value is $188,900, with a median monthly rent of $853. This places Kalkaska County at #1534 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #35 within Michigan.

Median Home Value $188,900
Median Rent $853/mo
Owner Occupancy 88.2%
Price/Rent Ratio 18.5

📈 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 Kalkaska County rose +12.7% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

3,702
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $1,275
  • Establishments: 378
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

38
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 38
  • Multi-family: 0
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+572
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 7,748 (avg $69,791)
  • Outflow: 7,176 (avg $69,926)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

📍 Sub-Market Activity

Top 2 active ZIP codes in Kalkaska County · Latest: 2025

# ZIP Code HPI YoY Change Latest Year
1 49646 296.1 +22.89% 2025
2 49680 275.2 +3.73% 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 Kalkaska County Compares

MetricKalkaska CountyMichigan AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $188,900 $197,292 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $853 $905 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 88.2% 80.2% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 18.5 17.9 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Kalkaska County is 4.3% below the Michigan state average and 17.0% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $853/month is 5.7% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 18.5, the buy-vs-rent decision in Kalkaska County is balanced. Whether buying or renting makes more sense depends on your time horizon, down payment capacity, and local market conditions.

Kalkaska County has an owner-occupancy rate of 88.2%, 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
Boone County Arkansas $188,900 $733
Black Hawk County Iowa $188,900 $989
Coos County New Hampshire $188,900 $876
Craig County Virginia $189,000 $713
Petersburg city Virginia $189,000 $1,174

Other Counties in Michigan

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Oceana County $190,100 $759 84.5%
Newaygo County $186,700 $904 86.5%
Montcalm County $185,500 $869 83.1%
Cheboygan County $192,500 $773 85.6%
Jackson County $193,700 $985 75.0%

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).