Kingsley is a village in Paradise Township, in the southern end of Grand Traverse County. It's about 15 miles south of Traverse City, a straight shot up Garfield Road, and M-113 runs right through town as Main Street, connecting to M-37 on the west and US-131 on the east.
At the 2020 census, the village had 1,431 people and Paradise Township as a whole had 4,952.
I'm Taylor Brown. My mom and business partner, Janel, and I sell homes all over Northern Michigan, and Kingsley is a good fit if you want a real small town, its own school district and room to spread out, with an easy drive into Traverse City.
Brownson Memorial Park. The park next to the village offices was rebuilt and reopened in spring 2025 with a new playground, a splash pad and outdoor fitness equipment. It's where the farmers market, summer music and trunk-or-treat happen.
The Adams Fly Festival. The classic Adams trout fly was first tied by Len Halladay at nearby Mayfield, and Kingsley celebrates it the first Saturday of every June at Brownson Park with fly tying, casting lessons and live music. Proceeds go to the Kingsley Friends of the Library. Mayfield Pond Park, a township park with a boardwalk and trout pond, bills itself as the home of the original Adams fly.
Civic Center South. This 40 acre park is run jointly by the Village of Kingsley, Paradise Township, the Village of Fife Lake and Mayfield Township. It has ball and soccer fields, a disc golf course, a seasonal ice rink and a paved walking loop.
Trails. The Boardman River Trail has 24 miles finished, including new single track that links Mayfield Pond Park to the North Country Trail. The Shore-to-Shore trail runs north and east of town.
What buyers should know.
Schools. Kingsley Area Schools has about 1,500 students and covers all of Paradise Township and parts of the neighboring townships. Preschool, elementary and middle school are in the village, and the high school is on Kingsley Road.
Village or township. Inside the village you get municipal water and sewer. Most of Paradise Township outside the village is rural, so if you're buying out there, plan on a well and septic and get both inspected.
Taxes. On the 2025 rates, a home in Paradise Township in the Kingsley school district pays about 23.24 mills as a primary residence and 40.91 as a second home or rental. Inside the village, add 8.92 village mills on the summer bill, which puts you around 32.16 and 49.84. Our payment calculator will turn that into a monthly number.
Short-term rentals. In the village, short-term rentals are only listed in the C-1 (downtown) and C-2 (general commercial) districts, as a special land use approved by the Planning Commission. They aren't listed in the residential districts. Paradise Township has no short-term rental ordinance, and its zoning doesn't address them directly, so call the township at (231) 263-5251 before you buy anything as a rental. Our STR Checker is a good first step.
New zoning in the village. The village adopted a new zoning ordinance in November 2025. Accessory dwelling units are now possible in the VR and R-1 districts with a special use permit, as long as the owner lives on the property. Duplexes and multi-family are allowed in R-2, and townhomes are allowed downtown.
The housing. The Census puts the median owner-occupied home value at about $266,000 in the township and $269,000 in the village, and those five-year survey numbers run behind today's prices. About 6% of homes in the township are seasonal, and close to none in the village. This is a year-round town.
Why our experience matters here. A Kingsley search can turn up a house on a village street with village water or ten acres down a dirt road on a well. The taxes, rules and inspections are different for each, and we sort that out with you before you write an offer, not after.
Come see it. If Kingsley is on your list, reach out and we'll show you around, from Main Street out to the trails.
Looking at a few towns at once? Start on our buyer page.
Janel & Taylor Brown
The Brown Team | Real Estate One
(231) 360-1510
