Ontonagon County, Michigan Housing Market

In Ontonagon County, Michigan, the median home value is $111,700, with a median monthly rent of $540. This places Ontonagon County at #2773 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #81 within Michigan.

Median Home Value $111,700
Median Rent $540/mo
Owner Occupancy 87.1%
Price/Rent Ratio 17.2

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

ℹ️ FHFA HPI data is not available for this county due to limited mortgage transaction volume.

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

898
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $650
  • Establishments: 165
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

10
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 4
  • Multi-family: 6
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+262
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 2,591 (avg $56,357)
  • Outflow: 2,329 (avg $54,594)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Ontonagon County Compares

MetricOntonagon CountyMichigan AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $111,700 $197,292 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $540 $905 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 87.1% 80.2% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 17.2 17.9 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Ontonagon County is 43.4% below the Michigan state average and 50.9% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $540/month is 40.3% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 17.2, the buy-vs-rent decision in Ontonagon County is balanced. Whether buying or renting makes more sense depends on your time horizon, down payment capacity, and local market conditions.

Ontonagon County has an owner-occupancy rate of 87.1%, 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
Lawrence County Kentucky $111,700 $760
New Madrid County Missouri $111,800 $729
Knox County Illinois $111,900 $788
Jackson County Kentucky $111,500 $665
Richland County Illinois $112,000 $805

Other Counties in Michigan

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Luce County $112,000 $675 82.6%
Iron County $109,100 $716 84.5%
Gogebic County $107,200 $623 81.0%
Oscoda County $125,500 $681 87.2%
Clare County $133,800 $765 86.9%

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).