Schools
Most addresses feed into Jefferson Schools in Newport (Jefferson High and Middle plus North and Sodt Elementary, ~1,400 students); northern and western pockets fall in Airport Community Schools in Carleton.
Monroe County, Michigan
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Buying a home in Estral Beach
Wedged between Lake Erie and I-75 in eastern Monroe County, the 48166 ZIP wraps the canal-and-cottage Village of Estral Beach into the wider community of Newport. About 13,170 people live across the ZIP, with roughly 415 in the incorporated village itself. The shoreline economy leans on DTE Energy's Enrico Fermi 2 nuclear station, a roughly 850-worker plant about two miles southwest, backed by Monroe County anchors like La-Z-Boy's headquarters and ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital. Buyers here are drawn by Swan Creek frontage, the Pointe Mouillee State Game Area, and Stony Point's private beach access, all while staying a half-hour from Detroit. The median household income sits near $69,600.
By the numbers
Estral Beach housing and mortgage snapshot
Values move. Treat these as orientation and let us pull current figures for the address you are considering.
$317,000
Typical home value, from the market research on this page
+44%
Typical rise in taxable value the year after a home sells in Berlin Township, 2026 Uncapping Study
1.27%
Effective property tax rate, as a share of value
1
Residential ZIP codes
What financing looks like in Estral Beach
To comfortably carry the ~$315k ZIP median with 10-20% down at prevailing rates (PITI near $2,000/month), most lenders want household income around $85,000-$95,000; a more typical $250,000 Newport home is reachable closer to $70,000-$80,000. Monroe County's effective property tax rate averages about 1.27% of market value. Owner-occupied homes in Berlin Township's Jefferson district run roughly 30-34 mills on taxable value, but buyers of a Stony Point second home or canal rental should budget the extra 18-mill non-homestead school levy. With prices well under jumbo and conforming thresholds, MSHDA first-time-buyer down payment assistance and FHA financing fit most of this market.
Nearly every Estral Beach purchase fits well under the 2026 conforming limit of $832,750, so loan size is rarely the constraint.
The market
The Estral Beach housing market
The ZIP-wide median sale price reached about $317,000 in May 2025, up roughly 5.5% year over year according to Zillow. Inside the tiny Village of Estral Beach, pricing is gentler, generally $220,000 to $290,000, while waterfront homes on the Stony Point peninsula routinely clear $500,000. Homes averaged about 54 days on market, a sharp climb from roughly 29 days a year earlier, signaling a market that has cooled toward balance and handed buyers more negotiating room. Demand is driven by Lake Erie and canal frontage, Fermi 2 and Detroit-bound commuters, and a limited supply of inland new construction off the Dixie Highway corridor.
Where to look
Estral Beach neighborhoods
Village of Estral Beach (~$200,000-$300,000)
Incorporated in 1925, a small Lake Erie/Swan Creek waterfront village mixing single-family homes, cottages, and mobile homes; uses the Newport 48166 ZIP.
Stony Point Peninsula (~$350,000-$900,000)
The premier waterfront area, lakefront and canal homes with dual frontage and private beach access, pulling the top of the ZIP's price range.
Brest Bay area (~$250,000-$400,000)
Lake Erie bay-side homes stretching south toward Monroe.
Newport/Berlin Township interior (~$180,000-$320,000)
Inland single-family and new construction (e.g. Newport Creek) on larger rural lots along Swan Creek Rd and Dixie Hwy.
Schools and commute
Commute
Downtown Detroit is about 30 miles up I-75, a 35-45 minute off-peak drive, with Southgate near the midpoint.
Michigan property taxes
Estral Beach property taxes after you buy
The year after a Michigan home sells, its taxable value resets to half of the assessor's market value, so the seller's tax bill is not your tax bill.
In Berlin Township, which assesses Estral Beach, our 2026 Uncapping Study found taxable value typically rises about 44% the year after a sale: roughly $1,610 more in first-year tax on a $300,000 home at the township's homestead millage. We build your payment on that post-sale number.
In Samantha's words
I'd much rather somebody ask me, "Why are your taxes higher than what I'm seeing online?" than have them build a housing budget around the wrong assumption.
Local resources
Check Estral Beach records yourself
The official offices behind the tax and school details on this page.
- Berlin Charter Township Assessing, for parcel records and current taxable value
- Jefferson Schools, for district boundaries and enrollment
- Monroe County Equalization, for county property tax records
What our clients say
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Individual experiences. Results vary.
Estral Beach mortgage questions
If yours is not here, ask it on the call. There are no dumb questions.
What is the typical home price in Newport / Estral Beach, MI 48166?
The ZIP-wide median sale price was about $317,000 in May 2025, up roughly 5.5% year over year. Within the small Village of Estral Beach, prices are more modest, generally in the $220,000-$290,000 range, while waterfront homes on Stony Point can exceed $500,000.
How much income do I need to buy a median-priced home here?
To comfortably carry the ~$315k ZIP median with 10-20% down at prevailing rates (PITI near $2,000/month), most lenders want household income around $85,000-$95,000. A more typical $250,000 Newport home is reachable closer to $70,000-$80,000, near the area’s median household income of about $69,600.
What are property taxes like in Estral Beach and Newport?
Monroe County’s effective property tax rate averages about 1.27% of market value (a median bill near $2,057). Owner-occupied homes in Berlin Township’s Jefferson school district pay roughly 30-34 mills on taxable value (about half of market value); second homes and rentals add the 18-mill school operating levy.
How fast are homes selling in the 48166 ZIP code?
Homes were averaging about 54 days on market as of May 2025, noticeably slower than the roughly 29 days a year earlier, signaling a market that has cooled toward more balance and given buyers a bit more negotiating room.
What is the commute from Newport to downtown Detroit?
It’s about 30 miles up I-75, roughly a 35-45 minute drive off-peak (longer at rush hour), with Southgate as the approximate midpoint. That makes 48166 a viable, lower-cost alternative for Detroit-area commuters and DTE/Fermi 2 workers.
What schools serve Estral Beach and Newport?
Most of the area is served by Jefferson Schools in Newport (Jefferson High and Middle plus North and Sodt Elementary, about 1,400 students), which runs along Lake Erie and I-75. Northern and western parts of the ZIP fall in Airport Community Schools, based in nearby Carleton.
Communities near Estral Beach
Monroe County overviewTalk with a local mortgage expert
Tell Samantha what you are trying to do in Estral Beach and she will tell you what actually matters for your situation, including whether the timing is right.
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Align Lending LLC, NMLS #2041154. Samantha Shelton, NMLS 1647301. Equal Housing Opportunity. Licensed in Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and Texas. Figures on this page are market research for orientation, not a quote. This page is for educational purposes only. It is not a credit decision, a preapproval, a commitment to lend, or an offer of credit.
