Township Torch Lake is a township in Michigan, in Houghton County.
The median owner-occupied home in Torch Lake had a real-estate tax bill of $3,447 (± $891) a year, compared with $2,795 in Michigan and $2,969 nationwide. The median home value was $469,500 (± $131,896), compared with $217,600 in Michigan and $303,400 nationwide.
| Measure | Torch Lake | Michigan | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,564 ± 278 | 10,051,595 | 332,387,540 |
| Median annual property tax bill (homeowners) | $3,447 ± $891rough guide only: the margin of error is 26% of the estimate | $2,795 ± $9 | $2,969 ± $3 |
| Median home value | $469,500 ± $131,896rough guide only: the margin of error is 28% of the estimate | $217,600 ± $692 | $303,400 ± $362 |
| Median household income | $85,972 ± $13,008 | $71,149 ± $286 | $78,538 ± $176 |
| Property tax as a share of home value (calculated) | 0.73% ± 0.28 pointsrough guide only: the margin of error is 38% of the estimate | 1.28% ± 0.01 points | 0.98% ± under 0.01 points |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 92.5% ± 2.5 points | 72.9% ± 0.2 points | 65.0% ± 0.3 points |
| Owner households headed by someone 65 or older | 55.7% ± 4.3 points | 32.6% ± 0.1 points | 32.6% ± 0.2 points |
| Owners spending 30% or more of income on housing costs | 29.1% ± 6.2 points | 19.2% ± 0.2 points | 22.2% ± 0.1 points |
How to read these numbers
- These are estimates from a survey, not a count. The American Community Survey asks a sample of households. The ± figure is the Census Bureau’s margin of error: the true value is very likely within that range of the estimate. Small places have large margins.
- “Too imprecise to report” means the margin of error is at least half of the estimate, so printing the number would suggest accuracy that does not exist. A “rough guide only” note means the margin is a quarter to a half of the estimate.
- Property tax bill and home value are medians for owner-occupied homes. Half of the homes are above the figure and half below. A median bill is not the rate set by a city or town; the bill combines taxes levied by every local government that serves the home, such as the school district and county.
- “Calculated” rows are worked out by Untax the Roof from the Census figures above them. They compare two medians, so they describe the place, not a particular household.
- Missing is not zero. Where the Census Bureau publishes no figure, this page says so.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2019–2023: tables B25103 (real estate taxes), B25077 (home value), B19013 (household income), B01003 (population), B25003 (owners and renters), B25007 (age of householder), B25091 (housing costs as a share of income); see the Census ACS data page.
If property taxes go unpaid in Michigan
How it works. Three-year delinquency/forfeiture/foreclosure process administered by Foreclosing Governmental Unit (FGU), followed by governmental options and public auction
Excess sale money. Michigan recognizes claims for remaining/excess foreclosure-sale proceeds. Current post-2020 claim process requires qualifying former interest holder to file Notice of Intention by statutory deadline; Treasury also provides procedures for certain retroactive pre-2020 claims following Michigan Supreme Court decisions
These rules are set by Michigan, not by Torch Lake, so this section is the same for every place in the state. Last verified 2026-09-25. See the full Michigan entry with statute links.