Best Places to Live in Michigan

Off-grid & homestead laws in Michigan

How Michigan treats the things that matter for living off-grid or homesteading. Scores feed the national rankings; rules often vary by county.

• Building-code freedomMichigan Residential Code applies statewide.ICC / NAHB code-adoption summaries (2026) ↗statewide-mandatory
• Greywater reuseNo residential greywater provision; treated as wastewater.Greywater Action / EPA REUSExplorer (2026) ↗none
• Rainwater harvestingLegal; some local incentives.NCSL (2026) ↗unrestricted
• Zoning / land-use freedomTownship/county zoning optional; no state plan.American Planning Association / Lincoln Institute (2026) ↗local-control
• Water rightsReporting above 100,000 gpd; Great Lakes Compact; domestic exempt.National Agricultural Law Center (2026) ↗regulated-riparian
• Right-to-farm protectionFee-shifting (MCL 286.473b, affirmed Township of James v. Rice 2022) + damage limit; strong local preemption.National Agricultural Law Center (2026) ↗strong
• Cottage-food / home sales~$25k cap, no license; direct sales only, no shipping.Institute for Justice / Forrager (2026) ↗limited
• Property tax burdenMedian ~1.1% effective rate across 83 counties.Census ACS (county median) (2023) ↗moderate
• Income tax burdenFlat 4.25%.Tax Foundation (2026) ↗flat-moderate
• Homestead exemptionPrincipal Residence Exemption (18 school mills) + 5% cap.Lincoln Institute / state revenue departments (2026) ↗strong

General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.

All 83 Michigan counties, ranked

1. 1Luce County76
2. 2Schoolcraft County72
3. 3Alcona County72
4. 4Alger County72
5. 5Mackinac County71
6. 6Oscoda County71
7. 7Ontonagon County71
8. 8Alpena County70
9. 9Missaukee County70
10. 10Montmorency County70
11. 11Chippewa County70
12. 12Otsego County70
13. 13Crawford County70
14. 14Baraga County70
15. 15Presque Isle County69
16. 16Arenac County69
17. 17Kalkaska County68
18. 18Osceola County68
19. 19Lake County67
20. 20Iosco County67
21. 21Cheboygan County67
22. 22Wexford County67
23. 23Antrim County66
24. 24Gladwin County66
25. 25Gogebic County66
26. 26Charlevoix County66
27. 27Houghton County66
28. 28Ogemaw County66
29. 29Keweenaw County65
30. 30Mason County65
31. 31Benzie County65
32. 32Branch County65
33. 33Menominee County64
34. 34Delta County64
35. 35Hillsdale County64
36. 36Manistee County64
37. 37Clare County63
38. 38Roscommon County63
39. 39Dickinson County63
40. 40Huron County63
41. 41Oceana County62
42. 42Emmet County61
43. 43Barry County61
44. 44St. Joseph County61
45. 45Newaygo County60
46. 46Montcalm County60
47. 47Cass County60
48. 48Tuscola County60
49. 49Gratiot County59
50. 50Isabella County59
51. 51Mecosta County59
52. 52Van Buren County59
53. 53Ionia County59
54. 54Iron County59
55. 55Shiawassee County59
56. 56Midland County58
57. 57Bay County58
58. 58Sanilac County58
59. 59Calhoun County58
60. 60Clinton County57
61. 61Lenawee County57
62. 62Lapeer County57
63. 63Marquette County56
64. 64Eaton County56
65. 65Jackson County56
66. 66Saginaw County55
67. 67St. Clair County55
68. 68Allegan County55
69. 69Grand Traverse County54
70. 70Muskegon County54
71. 71Berrien County53
72. 72Monroe County53
73. 73Leelanau County52
74. 74Kalamazoo County51
75. 75Genesee County50
76. 76Livingston County50
77. 77Ingham County48
78. 78Macomb County47
79. 79Ottawa County46
80. 80Kent County44
81. 81Wayne County43
82. 82Washtenaw County42
83. 83Oakland County41