Cheboygan County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.5 | 26,048 people · 31st most distressed in Michigan
American Default Research

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Cheboygan County, MI registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.5 — 1411th 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 31st of 83 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Cheboygan County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 80.6 — worse than roughly 81% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 80.6
Unemployment Rate 100
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 61
Business Formation Rate 81
Income & Poverty 57.4
Poverty Rate 54
Income vs. State Median 45
Child Poverty Rate 73
Community Vulnerability 54.0
Uninsured Rate 31
Disability Rate 77
Housing Cost Burden 47.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 66
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 73
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 52
Homeownership Rate 3
Rent-to-Income Ratio 46
Debt & Delinquency 22.9
Debt in Collections 29
Medical Debt 32
Student Loan Delinquency 4
Auto Loan Delinquency 25
Credit Card Delinquency 21
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 26

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cheboygan County
Cheboygan County, MI 52.5 Elevated —
Montmorency County, MI 67.5 Serious +15.0
Mackinac County, MI 56.9 Elevated +4.4
Presque Isle County, MI 47.0 Normal -5.6
Otsego County, MI 46.5 Normal -6.1
Emmet County, MI 33.2 Healthy -19.3
Charlevoix County, MI 32.7 Healthy -19.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cheboygan County
Hillsdale County, MI 52.5 Elevated -0.0
Hampshire County, WV 52.5 Elevated -0.0
Smith County, MS 52.5 Elevated +0.0
Wythe County, VA 52.5 Elevated -0.0
Sanilac County, MI 52.5 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Cheboygan 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 Cheboygan 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 Cheboygan County, Michigan?

    Cheboygan County has a County Distress Index score of 52.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,411th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 31st in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cheboygan County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cheboygan County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 80.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Cheboygan County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cheboygan County (52.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Montmorency County, MI (67.5); Mackinac County, MI (56.9); Presque Isle County, MI (47.0).

  • 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 Cheboygan County?

    Cheboygan County, Michigan has a population of approximately 26,048 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.