What a Flint home costs each year
Property tax, water, trash and energy from public rates. Look up your address to make it yours, and see how to pay less.
Suggestions as you type come from Google; the lookup uses free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.
Starts at $26,750 of taxable value. Typical use.
- Property tax$1,400
7.019% of $26,750 taxable value, with the a principal residence exemption exempts an owner’s principal residence from the local school operating millage, up to 18 mills.
- Flat charges on the tax bill$48
Street lighting assessment (per parcel, yearly) $48
- Electricity and gas$2,839
628.09 kWh a month $1,885 · 68.74 therms $954
- Water and sewer$1,823
9 units (CCF) a month on City of Flint: water $84, sewer $67 a month
- Trash$227
Waste collection fee (yearly, on the July tax bill), $19 a month
- Home insurance$1,056
Typical premium $1,056
A typical Flint house costs about $7,400 a year: $1,450 property tax and charges, $1,820 water and sewer, $230 trash, $2,840 electricity and gas, $1,060 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.
Rates checked Oct 22, 2026. Insurance: what you enter, or a typical premium until you do. Sources are listed at the bottom.
Ways to pay less
Nothing here applies to every house automatically. These are worth checking:
Lower incomes: Homeowners Property Exemption (HOPE)
If you cannot pay your taxes for financial reasons, you may be able to reduce the current year’s property tax obligation with the Homeowners Property Exemption (HOPE).
How: Download the application from the City of Flint HOPE page; help is offered by the Genesee County Treasurer and Legal Services of Eastern Michigan.
Lower incomes: Water Residential Assistance Program (WRAP)
WRAP is a two year program that provides funding to eligible, low-income homeowners to assist with water bills, water conservation, and self-sufficiency initiatives.
How: In Genesee County WRAP is administered by Genesee County Community Action Resource Department (GCCARD), 810-762-4934.
Lower incomes: Michigan Homestead Property Tax CreditUp to $1,900
Tax year 2025 limits: maximum taxable value $165,400, total household resources limit $71,500, phase-out above $62,500, credit limit $1,900.
How: See the Michigan Department of Treasury's Homestead Property Tax Credit information.
Money dates
- Jun 1, 2027File a Principal Residence Exemption Affidavit (Form 2368) on or before June 1 to reduce that year’s property taxes beginning with the summer tax levy
Who serves this house
- Water
- City of Flint
- City of Flint Master Fee Schedule FY27: residential City rates, 5/8"x3/4" meter readiness to serve charge plus metered water per CCF (one CCF = 748 gallons)
- Property tax
- 7.02% of value
- 2025 tax year, Flint City with Flint City School District
- Garbage
- City of Flint
- One 96-gallon trash cart and one 64-gallon recycling cart per household
- Sewer
- City of Flint
- Sewage goes to the Water Pollution Control Facility
- Electricity
- Consumers Energy
- Flint is listed in Consumers Energy's electric territory
- Gas
- Consumers Energy
- Flint is listed in Consumers Energy's gas territory
Other MI cities
Beverly Hills home costsMount Pleasant home costsWyoming home costsBattle Creek home costsGrand Rapids home costsSaginaw home costsMarquette home costsMidland home costsOwosso home costsWayne home costsAnn Arbor home costsLincoln Park home costsBay City home costsGarden City home costsWalker home costsJackson home costsNiles home costs
How these numbers are made
- Property tax: the State of Michigan 2025 total rate for Flint City with Flint City School District is 52.3352 mills for a principal residence and 70.1948 mills otherwise; the 17.8596-mill difference is what a Principal Residence Exemption removes. The 2026 rates are not yet published by the State. The city also levies an income tax, not modelled here.
- Taxable value: we start at half of the Census ACS 2024 5-year median value of owner-occupied units in Flint ($53,500), because assessed value is set at 50% of true cash value. Enter your own taxable value from your bill; owners who bought years ago are usually below it.
- Water and sewer: City of Flint Master Fee Schedule FY27, residential City rates for a 5/8"x3/4" meter, assumed billed monthly: water readiness charge $28.69 plus $6.19 per CCF for the first 35 CCF and $5.94 per CCF above; sewer readiness charge $28.69 plus $4.312 per CCF. The water use default is the page generic typical, not a Flint figure. Water is bought from the Great Lakes Water Authority.
- Garbage and street lighting: the FY27 adopted fee schedule lists a $226.56 waste collection fee and a $48.18 street lighting fee, both yearly on the July tax bill. The June 1, 2026 budget resolution agenda listed $218.56 and $56.18 (same $274.74 total); we use the adopted fee schedule.
- Electricity: Michigan Public Service Commission September 1, 2026 comparison for Consumers Energy ($9.50 plus 23.5 cents per kWh); gas: the MPSC September 1, 2026 comparison ($17.00 plus per-Ccf charges, converted at 1.037 therms per Ccf). Typical use is the Michigan statewide EIA average. Insurance: 2022 NAIC statewide average.
- Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.
- City of Flint Master Fee Schedule FY27 (adopted)
- Flint City Council June 1 2026 FY2027 budget adoption agenda
- City of Flint ACFR
- Michigan Treasury 2025 total property tax rates
- Census ACS 2024 DP04 Flint city
- City of Flint recycling and carts
- City of Flint Water Service Center
- City of Flint Assessments Division
- City of Flint HOPE
- City of Flint water assistance programs
- Consumers Energy electric rate book, territory
- Consumers Energy gas rate book, territory
- www.michigan.gov
- api.census.gov
- www.michigan.gov
- www.michigan.gov
- www.eia.gov
- www.eia.gov
- www.eia.gov
- www.michigan.gov
- www.iii.org
- www.michigan.gov
How Flint compares
A typical Flint house against the 18 Michigan cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.
| Per year | Flint | Median | Where it falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property tax rate | 7.02% | 6.17% | higher than 13 of the other 17 Michigan cities we cover |
| Water | $1,013 | $622 | higher than 17 of the other 17 Michigan cities we cover |
| Sewer and utility-bill fees | $810 | $750 | higher than 9 of the other 17 Michigan cities we cover |
| Trash | $227 | $227 | in the middle of 8 other Michigan cities we cover |
| Electricity and gas | $2,839 | $2,762 | higher than 13 of the other 17 Michigan cities we cover |
| Home insurance | $1,056 | $1,056 | in the middle of 16 other Michigan cities we cover |
| Total | $7,393 | $8,299 | lower than 14 of the other 17 Michigan cities we cover |
Cities bill differently (some put trash on the tax bill, some cover more services), so a higher number isn't necessarily worse. The property tax rate is compared instead of dollars because house values differ.
Questions to ask your candidates
Each one starts from a number above. Any candidate can answer them.
1. Property tax rate
The fact: Flint's property tax rate is 7.02%, higher than 13 of the other 17 Michigan cities we cover. The rate adds up every agency on the bill, not only the city.
Ask: "Property tax in Flint is 7.02%, higher than 13 of the other 17 Michigan cities we cover. What should that money pay for first, and would you change anything about how it is set?"
2. Water
The fact: Water here costs about $1,013 a year at typical use, higher than 17 of the other 17 Michigan cities we cover.
Ask: "Water here costs about $1,013 a year at typical use, higher than 17 of the other 17 Michigan cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"
3. Electricity and gas
The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $2,839 a year, higher than 13 of the other 17 Michigan cities we cover. Rates are set mostly by the utility and the state.
Ask: "Electricity and gas here cost about $2,839 a year for a typical house, higher than 13 of the other 17 Michigan cities we cover. Which parts of that can the city influence, and what would you do about them?"
Common questions about Flint house costs
What is the property tax rate in Flint?
About 5.23% of taxable value a year for an owner's principal residence, or 7.02% without the A principal residence exemption exempts an owner’s principal residence from the local school operating millage, up to 18 mills. (2025 tax year, Flint City with Flint City School District).
How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in Flint?
A house bought for $500,000 starts at about $250,000 of taxable value (50% of its value), so about $13,132 a year with the a principal residence exemption exempts an owner’s principal residence from the local school operating millage, up to 18 mills., including $48 of flat charges. After that, taxable value rises by inflation or 5%, whichever is lower, until the house sells again.
How much is the water bill in Flint?
About $152 a month for water and sewer at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on City of Flint.
How much does trash pickup cost in Flint?
$19 a month for a house.
Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Flint?
Yes. Lower incomes: Michigan Homestead Property Tax Credit: Tax year 2025 limits: maximum taxable value $165,400, total household resources limit $71,500, phase-out above $62,500, credit limit $1,900.
Where can I get help paying utility bills in Flint?
Lower incomes: Water Residential Assistance Program (WRAP): WRAP is a two year program that provides funding to eligible, low-income homeowners to assist with water bills, water conservation, and self-sufficiency initiatives. In Genesee County WRAP is administered by Genesee County Community Action Resource Department (GCCARD), 810-762-4934.
How much does a house in Flint cost to run each year?
A typical Flint house costs about $7,400 a year: $1,450 property tax and charges, $1,820 water and sewer, $230 trash, $2,840 electricity and gas, $1,060 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.