Branch County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Elevated · 53.6 | 45,215 people · 24th most distressed in Michigan
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Branch County, MI registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 53.6 — 1322nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where income and poverty levels indicate moderate economic strain. Within Michigan, it ranks 24th of 83 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Branch County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 61.8 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 61.8
Poverty Rate 61
Income vs. State Median 62
Child Poverty Rate 63
Debt & Delinquency 60.0
Debt in Collections 62
Medical Debt 66
Student Loan Delinquency 56
Auto Loan Delinquency 56
Credit Card Delinquency 87
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 34
Community Vulnerability 55.5
Uninsured Rate 66
Disability Rate 45
Employment & Wages 51.2
Unemployment Rate 58
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 18
Business Formation Rate 77
Housing Cost Burden 39.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 27
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 28
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 68
Homeownership Rate 33
Rent-to-Income Ratio 42

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Branch County
Branch County, MI 53.6 Elevated —
Calhoun County, MI 56.9 Elevated +3.3
Hillsdale County, MI 52.5 Elevated -1.1
St. Joseph County, MI 49.0 Normal -4.6
Kalamazoo County, MI 43.8 Normal -9.8
Steuben County, IN 35.7 Normal -17.9
LaGrange County, IN 29.0 Healthy -24.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Branch County
Monroe County, WV 53.6 Elevated -0.0
Lewis County, WV 53.5 Elevated -0.1
Grimes County, TX 53.7 Elevated +0.1
Wexford County, MI 53.4 Elevated -0.2
Wayne County, IL 53.4 Elevated -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Branch 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 Branch 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 Branch County, Michigan?

    Branch County has a County Distress Index score of 53.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,322nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 24th in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Branch County?

    The primary driver of distress in Branch County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 61.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Branch County compare to neighboring counties?

    Branch County (53.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Calhoun County, MI (56.9); Hillsdale County, MI (52.5); St. Joseph County, MI (49.0).

  • 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 Branch County?

    Branch County, Michigan has a population of approximately 45,215 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.