Ever wondered where the small town horse communities are in Michigan? Well, Metamora is most certainly one of them, the question is, is it actually a good place to call home? All that and more coming right up.
Metamora Michigan is one of those extremely rural communities that doesn’t often fall on people’s radar, but once you start digging, you become fully immersed into what this fine community offers. Be sure to stick around until the end as I go over all things Metamora, and the good and bad things that should be considered in your decisions if you call this area of Michigan your new home.
Metamora Michigan for starters is a village located in Lapeer County, it’s a few stone throws north of Oxford and Lake Orion which are areas I have made videos about too. Metamora is the first community I have talked about located in this county and I'll talk about why there’s some pros to living here as well.
Village of Metamora Michigan
This village is 0.83 square miles in size with a population of just over 600 people. It’s safe to say these residents know their neighbors, first, middle and last name as well as their social security number (kidding maybe), but just like the other villages throughout Michigan, there is a township that surrounds.
Metamora Township Michigan
Metamora township is 35.3 square miles in size with a population of under 4,500 people. This township also bleeds into Oxford a little bit too so keep that in mind when we talk about schools later.
Pros and Cons of Living In Metamora Michigan
Good Things About Living In Metamora Michigan
Metamora Michigan Rural Living
Kicking this Metamora Michigan review off with the good things, and that is the ungodly amount of space. It’s quiet and tranquil living over here to say the least. There’s a reason this area has equestrian written all over it. This isn’t a place where you are going to sneeze and your neighbors say bless you, BUT I will say there are some properties located in the village of Metamora that get a little tighter in town, which are on as little as 0.15 acres and up to 5.2 acres based on current inventory that’s active, pending and sold within the last year. Most of the properties seem to be between a quarter of an acre to half an acre in the village, but when we zoom out to the township, you can be on a quarter acre up to 83+ acres based on the inventory I mentioned. I’ll do a deeper dive on all that later when I talk about real estate prices and property taxes which I'll chat about after the pros and cons of living in Metamora michigan. This pro is gold for someone who just wants to be out in the country with more seclusion and privacy, no matter if you’re someone purchasing a home on the lower end or purchasing a multimillion dollar property, the opportunities are endless here while having the same goal in mind, space.
Metamora Michigan Community
The next pro I want to talk about is the community, and I say that broadly because there’s a lot to unpack here. The small town of Metamora has so much character, while having a countryside feeling with a sprawling natural scenery that is truly unlike any other, Metamora’s name came from the Native American term meaning “among the hills” and if you make a visit, you’d say it’s fitting i’m sure. Most centralized Metro Detroiters who are honking and in bumper to bumper traffic, dishing out the cuss words, have no idea this area exists, and if they do, this is where people will escape to get away from that faster city life. The misconception that I want to clear up about this little town, is the assumption of there not being any community aspect, because in your head you might think it makes sense, everyone has a farm or horses that keep them busy so why would community be a priority? I get that, but little Metamora has a downtown development authority consisting of 10 board members that work to improve the community and bring them together.
You can jump on the village website right now and see their budget and see how their funding goes towards things such as: streetscapes, park improvements, historical society improvements, sidewalks, decorations, events, concerts in the park and so much more in an attempt to bring everyone together. They have events such as Tree lighting for Christmas, horse parade, the summer concert series to pile everyone at Harmer park, Metamora country days, and the hot air balloon festival. I wouldn’t say there’s an overwhelming list of events that occur, but it has a small town Friday night football game feeling that brings the community together and it’s more than what most would think. I’d say there’s a line to that right? You can’t necessarily have that seclusion and privacy in a “countryside” fashion, while having every event under the sun at your fingertips, I think that would require a much longer population for starters, but as I mentioned there is an aspect of people being busy with their properties.
They also have some offerings as well like the one and only Whitehorse inn restaurant, which is a staple to Metamora, Metamora golf and country club, Bailey’s ice cream and smokehouse, lone wolf paintball, Champanes honeybee grill, Greg's of Metamora, Metamora hunt, equestrian centers of course, and around 10 lakes in, around and just outside the township of Metamora for all the watersports. There’s a McDonalds, a rite aid drug store, salons, and Metamora market and general store, and great lakes coffee. I think if there’s one thing to takeaway from this list is Metamora doesn’t shy away from nature and outdoor offerings, which is refreshing to see in a world where technology is running our lives you can still have a sample of old time living in 2024.
Metamora Michigan Equestrian Community
The next pro I want to dabble on for a second because it’s something that makes Metamora what it is, and that’s being an equestrian friendly community with ample facilities and trails. Despite me feathering this point in this whole time, it deserves its own point because there are not a ton of horse communities out there that are actually this lose to Metro Detroit, yes there are more east and west of Metamora that will be sure to talk more about in the future, but If a horse community is something that is a priority for you, add Metamora to your list of places to take a peak at.
Bad Things About Living In Metamora Michigan
Metamora Michigan Location
Switching gears to the not so good things about living in Metamora Michigan and that’s the location, I know you probably saw it coming, but for the people that don’t want to be excluded from the world, This community might not be a go-to one for you and of course it all comes down to preference, but I believe it needs to be looked at in several perspectives or personas to make an adequate review.
The pro to see in this con is it’s actually not that far away in the grand scheme of things, being just over an hour from Detroit (an hour 20 with rush hour), an hour 20 to an hour 40 to Ann Arbor based on traffic, and an hour 20 to almost 2 hours away from Novi, but if you’re making that commute everyday that can be a little irritating. I don’t know if I am mathing correctly, but that’s almost 31 days a year driving an hour and 20 minutes back and forth to Detroit. That’s a little yuck if you think about too much. Secure that work from home job asap, problem solved, and that’s something to think about with Healthcare too. Something I also wanted to mention in terms of location is there’s often the concern in rural communities about internet, utilities, trash, and transportation. So I have included a link HERE to answer those questions for you.
Metamora Michigan Offerings
On top of the location being pretty far out there, the next con has to be the offerings. Of course I wanted to shed light on the offerings they do have, because they aren’t always known in small towns, as they are often more criticized for what they don’t have. Again it’s all a preference and I think if you’re someone who has been following to this point you have a sense of if this community is for you or not. It’s outdoorsy, it’s hunting, it’s small town living with just enough amenities to keep the residents of Metamora from having to travel far and wide for the essentials, and that’s all fine and good, but as someone from a metro area across the united states you might be looking at these offerings as nowhere near enough, and that’s okay too, I'm glad this could answer that for you. Keep in mind, with over 35 square miles there’s hardly 5,000 people. Also, you can go just north to Lapeer for additional offerings too if Metamora isn’t cutting it for you. Another thing to evaluate when talking about offerings is the lack of jobs and a nightlife, you are not moving to Metamora to have a nightlife I can assure you. So if that’s something that is a priority for you, keep those commute times in mind that I mentioned earlier because those hours add up.
I started digging some more to see what people tended to do in Metamora and i came across this private facebook group that has over 5,000 people in it who live or lived in Metamora and the description reads: Those whom lived in and grew up in Metamora; regularly hung out in Metamora; and participated in most of the illegal, small petty stuff we did, because we were bored kids, and mail boxing was fun.... :). Not to undermine the fact: we all grew up, and appreciate and love Metamora... and the good times that are and were had.” That description tells me 1) there wasn’t a whole lot to do and 2) It really has to be a small town if they are going out mailboxing. Don’t think this is something that is currently happening, they are reminiscing on older times.
Metamora Michigan Growth Potential
The next con depending on how you want to look at it is the growth or lack of growth possibilities. I was taking a deeper dive into the masterplan for Metamora covering 2009-2029, and despite their plans to develop being pretty minimal in attempts to keep the small town small, I came across a heading on the 10th page talking about the regional development pressures, where one of the greatest influences on the development of Metamora is dependent on the growth of the Metro Detroit area, which is a given of course, but one step further broke down how Oakland county has one of the fastest growing counties in country since the 1970’s, and as that growth continues, there’s a lot of pressure to develop the southern area of Lapeer county to account for the influx of people, which is something I am seeing firsthand and I talked a little bit about in My Lake Orion and Oxford videos as they are on the northern end of Oakland county, and they are starting to get more and more popular and their infrastructure is being improved and the placement of roundabouts is continuing to increase traffic flow. So unfortunately, that seems like just a matter of time despite the village of Metamora and their residents not wanting this town to be overgrown.
Do I think it’s going to happen soon? I think Lake Orion and Oxford need to be overgrown more before that happens of course, as the population starts in the center of Metro Detroit and expands slowly outward, but the opportunity for development based on the zoning maps for Metamora show the space for several single family neighborhoods. I know it’s easy to look at these maps and the future plans and think, there’s no way they want to keep this small town in tack, but it is a goal of theirs for sure. Looking on page 17 and 18 of the masterplan, they have 3 goals they want to ensure they reach and maintain and that’s 1) preserving and enhancing the villages historic character and quaintness. 2) Increase the diversity of types of housing available in the village, and 3) Improve village regulations to increase their flexibility and make them easier for village residents to understand. And even looking back to the budget I mentioned earlier, it’s clear this community is for the people and that’s something important to note when looking for a place to live.
Metamora Michigan Real Estate
Metamora Michigan Home Prices
Switching gears to real estate and property taxes, This graph shows the average sale price over the last years in the entire MLS in blue, Metamora village in green and Metamora township in yellow. The village of Metamora yields an average price less than $300,000 whereas the township is around $220,000 more which accounts for the homes with more acreage, and more acreage comes with a bigger price tag. As of recording this there are 32 active and pending homes in the village of Metamora and Metamora township.
Cheapest Home In The Township of Metamora Michigan
The cheapest home in the township is a $250,000, 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom farmhouse with over 2,100 combined square feet, with no garage, built in 1900 and situated on 5 acres.
Cheapest Home In The Village of Metamora Michigan
The cheapest home in the village of Metamora is a $379,900 2 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom condo with 2,430 square feet, with a 2 car attached garage and built in 2003 with an HOA fee of $400 a month.
Most Expensive Home In The Village of Metamora Michigan
The most expensive home in the village for sale is a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom ranch with a basement situated in a golf community with 2,350 square feet with a 2 car attached garage. And built in 2014 and suited on 0.15 acres with an HOA fee of $138 a month for maintaining the grounds.
Most Expensive Home In The Township of Metamora Michigan
Now we have the most expensive home in the township, which is a $4,650,000 log home with 4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 7,410 square feet, built in 1997, with a 3 car attached garage and situated on 81.73 acres.
Metamora Michigan Property Taxes
Based on the homes for sale the average price point is about $400,000 so I'll use that to show you the price for property tax amounts. I have linked the property tax rates so you can look up any community as well. It’s 176 pages long and that’s where “control find” will come in handy. Here we have Metamora township which covers the school district of Lapeer, Dryden and Oxford, then we have the village of Metamora lined up with just Lapeer schools. When calculating a property tax estimate, take 50% of the purchase price and multiply it by the principal residence exemption side which is your homestead, or the non homestead side which is your second home or an investment and divide it by 1,000, that gives you your annual property tax amount. We have Lapeer Schools in the township at 23.4842 mills, Lapeer schools in the village at 33.3627 mills, Dryden schools in the township at 25.6096 mills and oxford schools at 30.5881. So on the low side for a $400,000 home we are sitting at $4,721.92 a year for taxes and on the high side $6,672.54 a year which is just something to keep in mind if an extra $2,000 a year will make or break your budget.
What are your thoughts on Metamora Michigan? Drop your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
If you’re thinking about moving to Michigan in 1 day or a million, feel free to reach out anytime, I also have a link to the Living in Michigan newsletter (below) to give you insight on all things Michigan, so be sure to subscribe so you never miss out! Thanks for watching, until next time.
Cheers,
Andrew
Andrew McManamon is a Michigan REALTOR® with Signature Sotheby’s International Realty and provides real estate services to Buyers, Sellers and Investors throughout SE Michigan including Livingston County, Oakland County, Washtenaw County, Genesee County & beyond. Andrew has become one of the pillars of Michigan real estate. Prior to his real estate career Andrew was responsible for managing a senior living facility in Brighton, Michigan as a dining supervisor and an activities assistant. Andrew’s passion to help people is unlike any other, and he continues to strive to be the best resource he can be. Andrew graduated from Cleary University in Howell, Michigan with a double major in business and marketing, and currently resides in Brighton, Michigan.
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