Calhoun County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.9 | 133,366 people · 20th most distressed in Michigan
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Calhoun County, MI registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.9 — 1087th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Michigan, it ranks 20th of 83 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Calhoun County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 70.8 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 70.8
Debt in Collections 77
Medical Debt 78
Student Loan Delinquency 72
Auto Loan Delinquency 68
Credit Card Delinquency 65
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 67
Housing Cost Burden 70.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 79
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 73
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 67
Homeownership Rate 60
Rent-to-Income Ratio 74
Income & Poverty 56.7
Poverty Rate 54
Income vs. State Median 58
Child Poverty Rate 58
Employment & Wages 54.6
Unemployment Rate 83
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 21
Business Formation Rate 59
Community Vulnerability 31.7
Uninsured Rate 28
Disability Rate 35

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Calhoun County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Calhoun County
Calhoun County, MI 56.9 Elevated —
Branch County, MI 53.6 Elevated -3.3
Hillsdale County, MI 52.5 Elevated -4.4
Jackson County, MI 52.1 Elevated -4.8
St. Joseph County, MI 49.0 Normal -7.9
Kalamazoo County, MI 43.8 Normal -13.1
Eaton County, MI 40.8 Normal -16.1
Barry County, MI 38.6 Normal -18.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Calhoun County
Belmont County, OH 57.0 Elevated +0.1
Lewis County, WA 56.8 Elevated -0.1
Lyon County, NV 57.0 Elevated +0.2
Grayson County, TX 57.2 Elevated +0.3
Craven County, NC 57.2 Elevated +0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Calhoun 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 Calhoun 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 Calhoun County, Michigan?

    Calhoun County has a County Distress Index score of 56.9 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,087th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 20th in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Calhoun County?

    The primary driver of distress in Calhoun County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 70.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Calhoun County compare to neighboring counties?

    Calhoun County (56.9) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Branch County, MI (53.6); Hillsdale County, MI (52.5); Jackson County, MI (52.1).

  • 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 Calhoun County?

    Calhoun County, Michigan has a population of approximately 133,366 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.