Cass County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Normal · 46.6 | 51,642 people · 58th most distressed in Michigan
American Default Research

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Cass County, MI falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 46.6 — 1854th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Michigan, it ranks 58th of 83 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Cass County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 60.1 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 60.1
Unemployment Rate 74
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 30
Business Formation Rate 76
Debt & Delinquency 54.1
Debt in Collections 52
Medical Debt 52
Student Loan Delinquency 83
Auto Loan Delinquency 43
Credit Card Delinquency 53
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 41
Community Vulnerability 43.2
Uninsured Rate 32
Disability Rate 54
Housing Cost Burden 40.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 56
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 63
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 51
Homeownership Rate 17
Rent-to-Income Ratio 14
Income & Poverty 35.6
Poverty Rate 40
Income vs. State Median 23
Child Poverty Rate 44

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cass County
Cass County, MI 46.6 Normal —
St. Joseph County, IN 51.5 Elevated +4.9
Elkhart County, IN 50.1 Elevated +3.5
Berrien County, MI 50.1 Elevated +3.5
St. Joseph County, MI 49.0 Normal +2.4
Van Buren County, MI 48.3 Normal +1.6
Kalamazoo County, MI 43.8 Normal -2.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cass County
Henderson County, NC 46.6 Normal -0.1
Kent County, RI 46.7 Normal +0.1
Ulster County, NY 46.8 Normal +0.1
Marion County, WV 46.8 Normal +0.2
Johnston County, NC 46.4 Normal -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Cass 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 Cass 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 Cass County, Michigan?

    Cass County has a County Distress Index score of 46.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,854th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 58th in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cass County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cass County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 60.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Cass County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cass County (46.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: St. Joseph County, IN (51.5); Elkhart County, IN (50.1); Berrien County, MI (50.1).

  • 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 Cass County?

    Cass County, Michigan has a population of approximately 51,642 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.