Arenac County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Elevated · 59.1 | 15,145 people · 16th most distressed in Michigan
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Arenac County, MI registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 59.1 — 903rd 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 16th of 83 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Arenac County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 78.2 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 78.2
Unemployment Rate 95
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 50
Business Formation Rate 90
Income & Poverty 67.1
Poverty Rate 61
Income vs. State Median 67
Child Poverty Rate 73
Community Vulnerability 52.5
Uninsured Rate 32
Disability Rate 73
Debt & Delinquency 52.1
Debt in Collections 38
Medical Debt 42
Student Loan Delinquency 46
Auto Loan Delinquency 51
Credit Card Delinquency 57
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 79
Housing Cost Burden 45.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 61
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 58
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 56
Homeownership Rate 5
Rent-to-Income Ratio 47

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Arenac County
Arenac County, MI 59.1 Elevated —
Ogemaw County, MI 63.7 Elevated +4.7
Gladwin County, MI 59.6 Elevated +0.6
Iosco County, MI 57.4 Elevated -1.6
Bay County, MI 48.2 Normal -10.8
Huron County, MI 43.8 Normal -15.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Arenac County
Switzerland County, IN 59.1 Elevated +0.0
Laclede County, MO 59.1 Elevated +0.0
Milam County, TX 59.1 Elevated +0.0
Barton County, MO 59.1 Elevated +0.0
Edgefield County, SC 59.1 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Arenac 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 Arenac 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 Arenac County, Michigan?

    Arenac County has a County Distress Index score of 59.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 903rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 16th in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Arenac County?

    The primary driver of distress in Arenac County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 78.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Arenac County compare to neighboring counties?

    Arenac County (59.1) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Ogemaw County, MI (63.7); Gladwin County, MI (59.6); Iosco County, MI (57.4).

  • 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 Arenac County?

    Arenac County, Michigan has a population of approximately 15,145 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.