Allegan County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Healthy · 32.6 | 121,939 people · 77th most distressed in Michigan
American Default Research

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Allegan County, MI ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 32.6 — 2777th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Michigan, it ranks 77th of 83 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 7 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Allegan County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 63.3 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 63.3
Unemployment Rate 69
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 53
Business Formation Rate 68
Housing Cost Burden 39.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 53
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 33
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 76
Homeownership Rate 2
Rent-to-Income Ratio 31
Debt & Delinquency 29.1
Debt in Collections 24
Medical Debt 47
Student Loan Delinquency 15
Auto Loan Delinquency 34
Credit Card Delinquency 21
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 35
Income & Poverty 16.8
Poverty Rate 20
Income vs. State Median 11
Child Poverty Rate 20
Community Vulnerability 14.7
Uninsured Rate 19
Disability Rate 11

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Allegan County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Allegan County
Allegan County, MI 32.6 Healthy —
Kenosha County, WI 48.3 Normal +15.6
Van Buren County, MI 48.3 Normal +15.6
Racine County, WI 44.3 Normal +11.7
Kalamazoo County, MI 43.8 Normal +11.2
Barry County, MI 38.6 Normal +6.0
Kent County, MI 37.7 Normal +5.1
Lake County, IL 34.6 Healthy +2.0
Ottawa County, MI 31.8 Healthy -0.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Allegan County
Calvert County, MD 32.6 Healthy 0.0
Windsor County, VT 32.7 Healthy +0.1
Frederick County, VA 32.7 Healthy +0.1
Johnson County, IN 32.7 Healthy +0.1
Chatham County, NC 32.8 Healthy +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Allegan 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 Allegan 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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Allegan County has a County Distress Index score of 32.6 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,777th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 77th in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Allegan County?

    The primary driver of distress in Allegan County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 63.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Allegan County compare to neighboring counties?

    Allegan County (32.6) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Kenosha County, WI (48.3); Van Buren County, MI (48.3); Racine County, WI (44.3).

  • 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 Allegan County?

    Allegan County, Michigan has a population of approximately 121,939 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.