Can Leelanau Housing Become Affordable?

Aug. 29, 2026

That’s the question the Leelanau County Housing Collaborative and Sleeping Bear Gateways Council are trying to answer via a community survey. Right now, Leelanau is ranked as the least affordable county in the state of Michigan, according to Michigan’s Senate Fiscal Agency, and has held one of the bottom spots for almost two decades. Zillow puts the average home value in the county at $656,811 (as of July 2026). Per our sister publication, the Leelanau Ticker, “Early results show that 77 percent of Leelanau residents are concerned about local businesses being unable to find staff because workers can’t find housing, while 64 percent are worried about young families leaving the area because of housing challenges.” The 16-question survey remains open through Sept. 15; share your thoughts at leelanau4business.org/survey.