Livingston County, Michigan
Healthy Home Assessments in Howell
Howell is the county seat of Livingston County, anchored by a landmark 1890 Richardsonian Romanesque courthouse at the center of a well-preserved historic downtown. Dr. Jadan reads the whole indoor environment in one visit.
Inside a Howell home
Howell was platted in 1835, became the Livingston County seat in 1836, and its five-block downtown along Grand River Avenue has served as the county's commercial center since the 1830s. A local distinction: Howell Main Street won the 2018 Great American Main Street Award from Main Street America, one of three winning communities nationwide that year. Counts run to 9,521 residents in 4,022 or so households. Originally called Livingston Center, Howell was formally organized on March 14, 1863.
The building stock
Census five-year estimates through 2023 put 38.3% of housing units in detached single-family homes and 50.2% of occupied units with their owners. Some 27.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The record of building starts around 1836, so the assessment reads an older envelope. One landmark on the ground here: Howell Carnegie District Library.
East Grand River is close, and water nearby lifts seasonal humidity, so basement moisture and condensation lead the visit.
Around Howell:
- Livingston County Courthouse. Richardsonian Romanesque brick courthouse built 1889 to 1890 at 200 East Grand River Avenue and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
- Howell Opera House. Theater that opened December 30, 1881, on Grand River Avenue and has been owned by the Livingston Arts Council since 2000.
- Michigan Challenge Balloonfest. Hot air balloon festival hosted by the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce that returned to Howell High School for its 41st year in June 2026.
- Scofield Park. City park at Thompson and Barnard Streets with a Thompson Lake swimming beach, playground, picnic areas, and boat launch.
- Lakeside Park. City park on the north side of Thompson Lake, one of twelve parks maintained by the City of Howell.
Streets and settlements
Howell also contains one named district, Howell Downtown Historic District. Howell Downtown Historic District: Commercial historic district covering five blocks of Grand River Avenue, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 with 46 contributing buildings. Addresses fall in 48843, 48844 and 48855. Howell High School's Parker Campus was reported to run the first automated student store in the country, nicknamed the "Kilt Shack.".