Housing decision brief
Alger County, MI Housing Market
Alger County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
39th lowest home value out of 83 Michigan counties with data | 14th lowest rent out of 83
Median home value
$165,700
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$712/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$766/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.8x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
22.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$54/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$165,700 median home value is 1% below Michigan county median
Lower rent
$712/mo is 16% below Michigan county median
Rent burden below pressure line
22.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 90.4 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$59,406 median income is 4% below Michigan county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is D. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Alger County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $165,700 | $167,600 | $281,900 | Near state median1% below Michigan county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $712 | $845 | $1,163 | 16% favorable16% below Michigan county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $766 | $868 | $1,672 | 12% favorable12% below Michigan county median |
Median household income | $59,406 | $61,868 | $74,755 | Near state median4% below Michigan county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.00% | 1.13% | 1.02% | 12% favorable12% below Michigan county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 22.00% | 28.00% | N/A | 21% favorable22.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$30,926
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$26,577
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Alger County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $712/month , about 14.4% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
Renters in Alger County pay $712/month on average, compared to $766/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 7%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $28,480/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $32,829/year. With a median household income of $59,406, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 22.0% of renter households in Alger County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Alger County sits 8% more expensive than Alpena County ($660/month) in terms of median gross rent.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mackinac County, MI | $165,600 | $761/mo | Same-state comparison near $165,600 home value and $761/mo rent. |
| Kalkaska County, MI | $174,300 | $767/mo | Same-state comparison near $174,300 home value and $767/mo rent. |
| Oceana County, MI | $167,600 | $768/mo | Same-state comparison near $167,600 home value and $768/mo rent. |
| Sanilac County, MI | $162,200 | $814/mo | Same-state comparison near $162,200 home value and $814/mo rent. |
| Hillsdale County, MI | $170,500 | $801/mo | Same-state comparison near $170,500 home value and $801/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Alger County
Is Alger County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Alger County?
How much income do you need for housing in Alger County?
What should I double-check before moving to Alger County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.