Barry County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Normal · 38.6 | 63,808 people · 71st most distressed in Michigan
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Barry County, MI falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 38.6 — 2437th 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 71st of 83 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Barry 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 74
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 85
Business Formation Rate 66
Housing Cost Burden 45.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 47
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 49
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 79
Homeownership Rate 2
Rent-to-Income Ratio 51
Debt & Delinquency 36.3
Debt in Collections 29
Medical Debt 43
Student Loan Delinquency 52
Auto Loan Delinquency 31
Credit Card Delinquency 35
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 28
Community Vulnerability 24.4
Uninsured Rate 21
Disability Rate 28
Income & Poverty 11.8
Poverty Rate 9
Income vs. State Median 14
Child Poverty Rate 13

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Barry County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Barry County
Barry County, MI 38.6 Normal —
Calhoun County, MI 56.9 Elevated +18.3
Ionia County, MI 49.5 Normal +10.9
Kalamazoo County, MI 43.8 Normal +5.2
Eaton County, MI 40.8 Normal +2.2
Kent County, MI 37.7 Normal -0.9
Allegan County, MI 32.6 Healthy -6.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Barry County
Jessamine County, KY 38.6 Normal 0.0
Fayette County, GA 38.7 Normal +0.0
Darke County, OH 38.6 Normal -0.0
Adams County, PA 38.7 Normal +0.1
Rockwall County, TX 38.7 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Barry 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 Barry 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 Barry County, Michigan?

    Barry County has a County Distress Index score of 38.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,437th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 71st in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Barry County?

    The primary driver of distress in Barry 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 Barry County compare to neighboring counties?

    Barry County (38.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Calhoun County, MI (56.9); Ionia County, MI (49.5); Kalamazoo County, MI (43.8).

  • 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 Barry County?

    Barry County, Michigan has a population of approximately 63,808 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.