Housing data for Empire Township, MI
Empire Township, MI has an estimated 1,173 residents and 1,168 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a township in Leelanau County.
15.0% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,034 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 1,173 (±132)
- Housing units
- 1,168 (±113)
- Households that rent
- 15.0%
- Median gross rent
- $1,034
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +1.0%
What stands out in Empire Township
Households that rent: 15.0% (±5.3 points) in Empire Township, higher than in Leelanau County (8.4%).
Housing in Empire Township at a glance
- Median rent: $1,034 median gross rent a month (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 31.4% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 15.0% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $94,821 median household income
- Home values: $452,500 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,779 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $3,150 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 1.3% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 68.0% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 40.8% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 17.6% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 38.7% heat with propane
- Commute and cars: 27.8 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +1.0% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 12.6% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 1.2% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Empire Township against Leelanau County, its state and the nation
| Empire Township | Leelanau County | Michigan | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1,173 (±132) | 22,734 (exact) | 10,077,761 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 1,168 (±113) | 15,759 (±58) | 4,622,236 (±795) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 15.0% (±5.3 points) | 8.4% (±1.5 points) | 26.8% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,034 (±$507) | $1,228 (±$90) | $1,129 (±$4) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $94,821 (±$14,428) | $99,422 (±$6,699) | $72,875 (±$293) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $452,500 (±$30,102) | $458,400 (±$13,150) | $231,600 (±$642) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $3,150 (±$480) | $3,118 (±$179) | $2,904 (±$9) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 40.8% (±7.1 points) | 38.0% (±2.5 points) | 62.1% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 27.8 minutes (±4.1) | 23.6 minutes (±1.9) | 24.2 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 96.5% (±2.3 points) | 93.1% (±1.1 points) | 90.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 64.8 years (±2.4) | 55.9 years (±0.4) | 40.2 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Empire Township covers 35.3 square miles of land, about 33 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Empire Township has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1,161 (±107) | 1,173 (±132) | +1.0% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 1,191 (±84) | 1,168 (±113) | −1.9% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $350 (±$176) | $1,034 (±$507) | +195.4% | Up after inflation |
| Median home value | $275,900 (±$28,209) | $452,500 (±$30,102) | +64.0% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $67,222 (±$8,942) | $94,821 (±$14,428) | +41.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,395 (±$129) | $1,779 (±$160) | +27.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $2,466 (±$255) | $3,150 (±$480) | +27.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 8.4% (±3.4 points) | 15.0% (±5.3 points) | +6.6 percentage points | Measurable increase |
| Rental vacancy rate | 48.4% (±20.0 points) | 17.6% (±17.1 points) | −30.8 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Leelanau County
Empire Township has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Leelanau County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Leelanau County recorded 53 violent and 195 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in Empire Township
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49630 | 46% | 1,390 | $1,083 | $497,600 | $106,375 |
| 49636 | 32% | 643 | — | $741,900 | $119,688 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Empire Township
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platte Township | 5.6 mi | — | $242,200 | 9.5% |
| Glen Arbor Township | 6.3 mi | $1,073 | $886,200 | 5.0% |
| Kasson Township | 6.5 mi | $1,509 | $402,600 | 10.8% |
| Almira Township | 8.1 mi | $1,401 | $284,600 | 10.8% |
| Lake Township (Benzie County) | 9.9 mi | — | $650,000 | 2.8% |
| Lake Ann | 10 mi | $1,200 | $338,900 | 17.1% |
| Cleveland Township | 11 mi | $1,095 | $442,400 | 9.5% |
| Honor | 11 mi | — | $223,800 | 9.5% |
Places in Michigan most like Empire Township
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solon Township (Leelanau County) | $1,045 | $376,100 | $96,833 | 10.7% |
| Milton Township (Antrim County) | $1,125 | $528,000 | $88,971 | 6.8% |
| Yankee Springs Township | $971 | $373,900 | $84,786 | 8.2% |
| Centerville Township | $853 | $444,400 | $98,281 | 6.4% |
| Cleveland Township | $1,095 | $442,400 | $81,607 | 9.5% |
| West Traverse Township | $1,148 | $399,600 | $93,929 | 10.5% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Michigan.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Empire Township, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,308 | $1,316 | $1,500 | $1,787 | $1,971 |
HUD income limits for Empire Township, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $25,700 | $42,750 | $68,400 |
| 2 people | $29,350 | $48,850 | $78,200 |
| 3 people | $33,000 | $54,950 | $87,950 |
| 4 people | $36,650 | $61,050 | $97,700 |
| 5 people | $39,600 | $65,950 | $105,550 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $70,850 | $113,350 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $75,750 | $121,150 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $80,600 | $129,000 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Leelanau County, MI HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $122,100.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
The figures for Empire Township include the places inside it that have pages of their own: Empire.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
What you can do on Seayora in Empire Township
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Questions about Empire Township
How many renters are there in Empire Township?
Empire Township has an estimated 89 (±34) renting households, 15.0% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Empire Township?
The median household income in Empire Township is $94,821 (±$14,428) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Empire Township, MI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $452,500 (±$30,102) for owner-occupied homes in Empire Township (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Empire Township?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Empire Township, MI is $1,779 (±$160) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Empire Township?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Empire Township, MI is $3,150 (±$480) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in Empire Township?
Empire Township, MI has an estimated 1,168 (±113) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Empire Township growing?
In Empire Township, the number of residents went from 1,161 in 2015–2019 to 1,173 in 2020–2024 (+1.0%), not a measurable change.
What ZIP codes are in Empire Township?
The ZIP codes that cover Empire Township are 49630, 49636.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 49630?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 49630 is $1,083 (±$159) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Empire township, Leelanau County, Michigan
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Empire township, Leelanau County, Michigan
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Empire township, Leelanau County, Michigan
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Empire township, Leelanau County, Michigan
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Empire township, Leelanau County, Michigan
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Empire township, Leelanau County, Michigan
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Empire township, Leelanau County, Michigan
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Leelanau County, MI HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Leelanau County, MI HUD Metro FMR Area
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Empire township, Leelanau County, Michigan (county subdivision:26000, in state:26 county:089).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .