Alger County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Normal · 44.8 | 8,757 people · 61st most distressed in Michigan
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Alger County, MI falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 44.8 — 2006th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Michigan, it ranks 61st of 83 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Alger County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 75.0 — worse than roughly 75% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 75.0
Unemployment Rate 95
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 59
Business Formation Rate 71
Community Vulnerability 49.0
Uninsured Rate 19
Disability Rate 79
Income & Poverty 42.2
Poverty Rate 45
Income vs. State Median 42
Child Poverty Rate 40
Debt & Delinquency 29.3
Debt in Collections 24
Medical Debt 43
Student Loan Delinquency 46
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 54
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5
Housing Cost Burden 28.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 31
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 6
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 55
Homeownership Rate 5
Rent-to-Income Ratio 46

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Alger County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Alger County
Alger County, MI 44.8 Normal —
Luce County, MI 62.6 Elevated +17.8
Schoolcraft County, MI 52.6 Elevated +7.8
Delta County, MI 50.2 Elevated +5.4
Keweenaw County, MI 47.5 Normal +2.6
Marquette County, MI 44.8 Normal 0.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Alger County
Kalawao County, HI 44.8 Normal +0.0
Adams County, ID 44.8 Normal +0.0
Charles Mix County, SD 44.9 Normal +0.0
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK 44.8 Normal -0.1
Clay County, KS 44.8 Normal -0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Alger County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Alger County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of Michigan Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of Michigan Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-968-0738

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Alger County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid & Defender Association of Detroit 313-967-5555
Michigan Legal Help / Wolverine Legal Aid
Neighborhood Legal Services of Michigan 248-548-3838
Michigan Advocacy Program 616-774-0672
Legal Services of South Central Michigan 734-665-6181
Lakeshore Legal Aid (888) 783-8190
Legal Aid of Western Michigan (616) 774-0672
Legal Services of Eastern Michigan (800) 322-4512
Legal Services of Northern Michigan, Inc. (906) 786-2303

Self-Help Resources

Michigan Legal Help — Foreclosure Self-help guides and interactive tools for Michigan foreclosure process and defenses
MSHDA Homeowner Resources Assistance programs, counselor referrals, and MIHAF information

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Alger County, Michigan?

    Alger County has a County Distress Index score of 44.8 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,006th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 61st in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Alger County?

    The primary driver of distress in Alger County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 75.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Alger County compare to neighboring counties?

    Alger County (44.8) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Luce County, MI (62.6); Schoolcraft County, MI (52.6); Delta County, MI (50.2).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Alger County?

    Alger County, Michigan has a population of approximately 8,757 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.