Walker, MI · Updated Oct 2026

What a Walker 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.

Example · a Walker house

$7,011a year · $584 a month

Starts at $116,450 of taxable value. Typical use.

Property tax$3,216
4.562% of $116,450 taxable value, with the principal residence exemption
Electricity and gas$2,826
628.09 kWh a month $1,885 · 68.74 therms $941
Water and sewer$969
7 units (CCF) a month on City of Grand Rapids Water System (serves Walker): water $33, sewer $48 a month
TrashNot included
The City provides no trash service; not in the total
Home insuranceNot included
We don't have a typical premium for this city yet. Add yours with Adjust.

A typical Walker house costs about $7,000 a year: $3,220 property tax and charges, $970 water and sewer, $2,830 electricity and gas; trash is billed separately, and home insurance is not included (no typical premium yet). Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 28, 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: 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.
Income at or below 150% of poverty: DTE Gas income assistance creditUp to $14.50 a month
For a Rate A customer at their primary residence whose total household income does not exceed 150% of the federal poverty level, one of two DTE Gas income assistance credits is applied in all billing months, at the company's discretion; the Residential Income Assistance Service Provision credit is $14.50 a month, equal to the customer charge.
How: Verify receipt in the past 12 months of a Home Heating Credit, State Emergency Relief, Michigan Energy Assistance Program help, Medicaid or SNAP; a customer who cannot verify any of these must complete a self-attestation form and provide it to the utility.
Homeowners: file the Principal Residence Exemption
A property that receives the Principal Residence Exemption status is relieved of 18 mills for school operating property tax. The owner must occupy the property as of May 1 and file an affidavit with the Walker Assessors Office.
How: File the Principal Residence Exemption Affidavit with the Walker Assessors Office.
Seniors 62+, certain veterans, handicapped individuals with household income of $40,000 or less: summer tax deferment
Summer property tax deferments are offered to senior citizens (62 years of age or older), certain veterans, and handicapped individuals that have a household income of $40,000 or less. If deferred, the summer tax becomes due on February 14.
How: Contact the office named on the City's General Property Tax Information page, or visit the State of Michigan website.

Money dates

Feb 14in 102 daysWinter taxes are due; a penalty of 3% is added on February 15, and on March 1 unpaid summer and winter real property taxes are turned over to the Kent County Treasurer
Jun 1File a Principal Residence Exemption Affidavit by June 1 to lower that year's taxes starting with the summer levy
Sep 14Summer taxes are due; 1% interest is added on September 15, a 4% penalty on October 1, and 1% a month from November through February

Who serves this house

Water: City of Grand Rapids Water System (serves Walker); Grand Rapids water rates for Walker, effective January 1, 2026: a monthly service charge by meter size plus $2.23 per HCF
Property tax: 4.56% of value; 2026 summer rates (actual) and 2026 winter rates (estimated), Kenowa Hills school district
Garbage: Licensed private haulers; The City does not provide trash and recycling services and directs residents seeking information on licensed waste haulers in the area to a city document
Sewer: City of Grand Rapids; Public sanitary sewer served by Grand Rapids; water and sewer usage bills are billed by Grand Rapids
Electricity: Consumers Energy; Walker is listed in the territory served by Consumers Energy's electric rate book
Gas: DTE Gas; DTE says it serves natural gas to Walker's residents and businesses
Schools: Kenowa Hills Public Schools (most taxable value); City property lies in three school districts: Kenowa Hills, Grandville and Comstock Park

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Source: The City of Grand Rapids publishes water quality results for water from Lake Michigan
Lead: Each year the City of Grand Rapids collects water samples from about 50 homes, focusing on properties with lead service lines, to measure lead and copper at the tap

Other MI cities

Beverly Hills home costs Mount Pleasant home costs Wyoming home costs Battle Creek home costs Grand Rapids home costs Saginaw home costs Marquette home costs Midland home costs Owosso home costs Wayne home costs Ann Arbor home costs Lincoln Park home costs Flint home costs Bay City home costs Garden City home costs Jackson home costs Niles home costs

How these numbers are made

Property tax: Walker has three school districts; we use Kenowa Hills (Kenowa Hills is the largest by 2025 taxable value, $1,408,088,144 of $1,774,672,124; Grandville and Comstock Park cover the rest at different rates). Rates are the City's 2026 millage sheet, principal-residence column: city 1.3360, Kent County 4.0142, State Education Tax 6.0, Kent ISD 5.2906, GRCC 1.6603, The Rapid 1.3648, Kenowa Hills debt/sinking 4.67; the 18-mill Kenowa Hills operating levy applies only without a Principal Residence Exemption. The winter county levies (1.9255 mills) and library (1.0832) are the City's estimates.
The City adds a 1% property tax administration fee to each bill; we model it as 1% of the principal-residence millage total (27.3446 mills, about 0.027 mills) on the page. Walker also levies a 1% city income tax on residents, which is not part of the property bill. A 1.75-mill public safety millage is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for 2027-2036 and is not in these rates. Charges that apply only to some parcels are not included.
Taxable value: we start at the City's stated average taxable value of $116,450 (average market value $232,900); owners who bought years ago usually have a lower taxable value. Enter your own from your bill.
Water and sewer: Grand Rapids bills Walker properties at Walker's rates effective January 1, 2026: water $17.19 a month for a 3/4-inch meter plus $2.23 per HCF; sewer $33.85 a month plus $3.03 per HCF. The rate study's typical domestic customer uses 21 units of water and 14 units of sewer a quarter, so sewer is priced at 14/21 of water use (about $2.02 per HCF of water) and typical water use is 7 HCF a month. HCF = 100 cubic feet = 1 CCF.
Electricity: the Michigan Public Service Commission's September 1, 2026 bill comparison for Consumers Energy, $9.50 a month plus 23.5 cents per kWh including surcharges; a single-date snapshot. Gas: DTE Gas Rate A from DTE's October 2026 rate card (post-order, Case U-21973): $15.40 customer charge, $0.50791 distribution, $0.03221 EWR, $0.05 reservation and the October $0.36 GCR, $0.95012 per Ccf, or about $0.916 per therm; the GCR changes monthly and the IRM surcharge starts again in January 2027. Trash: Walker residents hire a licensed private hauler, so no price is counted. Insurance: 2023 NAIC statewide Michigan HO-3 average.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Walker compares

A typical Walker house against the 18 Michigan cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.

Per year	Walker	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	4.56%	6.17%	lower than 17 of the other 17 Michigan cities we cover
Water	$394	$622	lower than 15 of the other 17 Michigan cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$576	$750	lower than 11 of the other 17 Michigan cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$2,826	$2,762	higher than 12 of the other 17 Michigan cities we cover
Total	$7,011	$8,299	lower than 16 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: Walker's property tax rate is 4.56%, lower than 17 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 Walker is 4.56%, lower than 17 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 $394 a year at typical use, lower than 15 of the other 17 Michigan cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $394 a year at typical use, lower than 15 of the other 17 Michigan cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

See who is running in your city →

Common questions about Walker house costs

What is the property tax rate in Walker?

About 2.76% of taxable value a year for an owner's principal residence, or 4.56% without the Principal Residence Exemption (2026 summer rates (actual) and 2026 winter rates (estimated), Kenowa Hills school district).

How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in Walker?

A house bought for $500,000 starts at about $250,000 of taxable value (50% of its value), so about $6,905 a year with the principal residence exemption. After that, taxable value rises by inflation or 5%, whichever is lower, until the house sells again.

How much is the water bill in Walker?

About $81 a month for water and sewer at typical use (7 units, or 5,236 gallons a month) on City of Grand Rapids Water System (serves Walker).

How much does trash pickup cost in Walker?

The City provides no trash service; not in the total

When is property tax due in Walker?

Feb 14: Winter taxes are due; a penalty of 3% is added on February 15, and on March 1 unpaid summer and winter real property taxes are turned over to the Kent County Treasurer

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Walker?

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 Walker?

Income at or below 150% of poverty: DTE Gas income assistance credit: For a Rate A customer at their primary residence whose total household income does not exceed 150% of the federal poverty level, one of two DTE Gas income assistance credits is applied in all billing months, at the company's discretion; the Residential Income Assistance Service Provision credit is $14.50 a month, equal to the customer charge. Verify receipt in the past 12 months of a Home Heating Credit, State Emergency Relief, Michigan Energy Assistance Program help, Medicaid or SNAP; a customer who cannot verify any of these must complete a self-attestation form and provide it to the utility.

How much does a house in Walker cost to run each year?

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