Baraga County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Normal · 46.7 | 8,310 people · 57th most distressed in Michigan
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Baraga County, MI falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 46.7 — 1851st 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 57th of 83 counties. Among its 3 neighboring counties, 2 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Baraga County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 73.1 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 73.1
Unemployment Rate 95
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 29
Business Formation Rate 95
Income & Poverty 63.5
Poverty Rate 65
Income vs. State Median 69
Child Poverty Rate 57
Community Vulnerability 47.1
Uninsured Rate 12
Disability Rate 82
Debt & Delinquency 25.4
Debt in Collections 25
Medical Debt 55
Student Loan Delinquency 46
Auto Loan Delinquency 8
Credit Card Delinquency 14
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5
Housing Cost Burden 24.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 11
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 21
Homeownership Rate 35
Rent-to-Income Ratio 49

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Baraga County compares to its 3 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Baraga County
Baraga County, MI 46.7 Normal —
Iron County, MI 61.5 Elevated +14.8
Houghton County, MI 45.3 Normal -1.4
Marquette County, MI 44.8 Normal -1.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Baraga County
Sioux County, NE 46.7 Normal -0.0
Wibaux County, MT 46.7 Normal -0.0
King and Queen County, VA 46.6 Normal -0.1
Lyon County, KY 46.9 Normal +0.2
Stark County, IL 46.9 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Baraga 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 Baraga 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 Baraga County, Michigan?

    Baraga County has a County Distress Index score of 46.7 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,851st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 57th in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Baraga County?

    The primary driver of distress in Baraga County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 73.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Baraga County compare to neighboring counties?

    Baraga County (46.7) can be compared to its 3 neighboring counties: Iron County, MI (61.5); Houghton County, MI (45.3); Marquette County, MI (44.8).

  • 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 Baraga County?

    Baraga County, Michigan has a population of approximately 8,310 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.