Five Years of Lakeshore Real Estate: Holland and Grand Haven

October 20, 2026 · By RuthAnne Michelz

Over the last five years, home values in Holland and Grand Haven have climbed by roughly 40 to 50 percent, and neither town has given those gains back. Census estimates put the typical Holland home (ZIP 49423) at $278,000 in 2024, up from $184,500 in 2020. Grand Haven (ZIP 49417) rose from $221,800 to $316,300 over the same stretch.

If you own a home on the Lakeshore, you have likely built real equity. If you are shopping, you are paying more than you would have in 2020, but you are also buying into one of the steadiest markets in Michigan. Here is how we got here.

Median owner home value, U.S. Census American Community Survey 5 year estimates for ZIP 49423 (Holland) and 49417 (Grand Haven). Holland grew faster in percentage terms, while Grand Haven stayed about $38,000 higher in typical value.

2021 and 2022: The Boom

Record low mortgage rates and a wave of buyers looking for space and lake access sent prices up fast. Listings went pending within days, and multiple offers were common in both towns.

The numbers show it. Grand Haven's median home value jumped from $236,400 in 2021 to $275,900 in 2022, a gain of about 17 percent in a single year. Holland followed the same path, rising from $198,800 to $230,000, about 16 percent. Across the Holland metro area, the median asking price climbed from about $346,000 in January 2021 to a peak of $437,250 in September 2022.

2023 and 2024: Higher Rates, Prices Still Rising

When mortgage rates roughly doubled, many people expected prices to fall. On the Lakeshore, they did not. Owners holding low rates stayed put, so the number of homes for sale stayed tight, and that kept values climbing.

Holland's median value rose to $254,800 in 2023 and $278,000 in 2024. Grand Haven slowed briefly to $287,800 in 2023, then picked back up to $316,300 in 2024. By April 2024, homes in Holland were selling for a median of $337,100, up 14 percent from a year earlier, and spending an average of just 27 days on the market.

2025 and 2026: A Steadier Climb

The double digit jumps have cooled into steady single digit growth. Grand Haven's typical home value was $398,932 as of September 2026, up 4.4 percent from a year earlier, with a median sale price of $416,000 in August and homes going pending in about 15 days. Holland's typical value sat near $373,000 in spring 2026, and its median sale price was $379,900 in June 2026, with homes selling at about 99 percent of list price.

The Holland metro median asking price peaked at $549,900 in August 2025 and has eased to about $500,000 in mid 2026. That points to sellers pricing a bit more realistically, not to falling values. Grand Haven remains the pricier of the two towns, while Holland offers more inventory and more sales each month.

What It Means for You

For sellers, the equity built since 2020 is real, but buyers today are more careful than they were in 2021. A well prepared home priced to recent sales still moves quickly. Overpricing now leads to price cuts.

For buyers, waiting for a big price drop has not paid off on the Lakeshore. Steady demand, limited land near the lake, and owners who are slow to sell keep a floor under values. The better strategy is to get preapproved, know your neighborhood, and be ready to act when the right home comes up.

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