Vista Theater · Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0Measured against area pay, Ely Township costs less to live in than 89% of U.S. towns
Home prices around Ely Township have risen about 77% over the past 5 years.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Marquette, MI micro area ($65K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Marquette-area micro earn ($65K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 3.0 years of area income, and 0% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $980a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 3.0 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$65K, Marquette-area income
- 10%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in Ely Township
Prices rose faster than Michigan’s over five years
There’s no Zillow index for Ely Township, so the page uses the federal house price index for the ZIP codes around it, which follows repeat sales of the same homes. It rose 77% over five years, against 52% across Michigan. Price trend ↓
A second-home town
21% of Ely Township’s homes are seasonal or vacation homes, empty for much of the year. Year-round rentals are scarce: there are 27 renter households. Property taxes ↓
Nearly every household owns
96% of Ely Township households own their home, against 73% across Michigan. There are only 27 renter households, so rentals are scarce. Property taxes ↓
Written from the data on this page. There’s no Zillow index for Ely Township, so the typical value is an estimate: the Census median carried forward with the federal house price index; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Ely Township’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Ely Township is more affordable than 89% of U.S. towns. Home prices pull the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Home prices up 77% in 5 years
The federal house price index for the ZIP codes around Ely Township rose 77% over the past 5 years, faster than across Michigan (52%). Last year prices rose 12%. Carrying the Census median home value forward with that index puts the typical Ely Township home at roughly $257,000 today.
Carrying the Census median forward with the index puts a typical home at about $257K.
Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (annual) for the ZIP codes around Ely Township, weighted by land area. It tracks repeat sales of the same homes, so it shows how prices changed, not what homes cost.
A typical home costs 3.0 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Ely Township’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Ely Township home, with $1K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $980 a month here, $530 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Ely Township’s typical property tax (0.76% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $980
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Marquette County, MI): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Property tax runs below the Michigan norm
The median bill is $1,496 (Michigan: $2,904), 0.76% of a home’s value a year, against 1.25% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
The rest of a budget near Ely Township
Only figures published free for the whole country, each labeled with the area it covers: Michigan, or Michigan. Groceries follow the goods price level; nobody publishes them town by town.
| Cost | Here | Compared with | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity cents per kWh, homes | 23.1¢ | U.S. 18.3¢ | state | EIA, July 2026 |
Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024 (metro area and state). Electricity: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.
Ely Township vs. its neighbors
Zillow publishes no value for Ely Township. Ishpeming Township and Sagola Township and Tilden Township have no Zillow value, so they are in the table only.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, latest | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ely Township | A | — | $196K | 0.76% | $980 |
| Tilden Township | A | — | $143K | 0.64% | $970 |
| Champion Township | – | $203K | $95K | 1.01% | $1,000 |
| Ishpeming Township | A | — | $206K | 0.75% | $1,010 |
| Felch Township | – | $175K | $121K | 1.08% | $1,010 |
| Sagola Township | B+ | — | $164K | 0.97% | $1,020 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures. “—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents).
Questions about the cost of living in Ely Township
Is Ely Township expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Ely Township costs less than 89% of U.S. towns: an A for cost of living. The typical home costs 3.0 years of the median household income of the Marquette, MI micro area ($65K).
How much is rent in Ely Township?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $980 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in.
What are property taxes in Ely Township?
The median bill is $1,496 a year, 0.76% of the median home value (Michigan: $2,904, 1.25%), from the Census 2020–24.
Neighbors talk housing
What Ely Township buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Price trend: Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.