Clare County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Serious · 69.7 | 31,316 people · 2nd most distressed in Michigan

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Clare County, MI shows significant household financial distress with a score of 69.7 — 222nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Michigan, it ranks 2nd 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. Clare County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 89.9 — worse than roughly 90% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 89.9
Poverty Rate 89
Income vs. State Median 92
Child Poverty Rate 88
Community Vulnerability 84.7
Uninsured Rate 75
Disability Rate 94
Employment & Wages 73.8
Unemployment Rate 97
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 48
Business Formation Rate 77
Debt & Delinquency 53.3
Debt in Collections 60
Medical Debt 44
Student Loan Delinquency 34
Auto Loan Delinquency 53
Credit Card Delinquency 61
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 69
Housing Cost Burden 46.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 63
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 49
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 42
Homeownership Rate 2
Rent-to-Income Ratio 79

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Clare County
Clare County, MI 69.7 Serious
Roscommon County, MI 61.7 Elevated -8.0
Isabella County, MI 61.5 Elevated -8.3
Mecosta County, MI 60.9 Elevated -8.8
Osceola County, MI 59.9 Elevated -9.9
Gladwin County, MI 59.6 Elevated -10.1
Missaukee County, MI 48.8 Normal -20.9
Midland County, MI 36.4 Normal -33.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Clare County
Mississippi County, AR 69.7 Serious +0.0
Texas County, MO 69.7 Serious -0.0
McIntosh County, GA 69.7 Serious -0.0
Jackson County, AR 69.7 Serious -0.0
Pike County, MS 69.7 Serious -0.0

Download Data

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Find Help in Clare County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Clare County.

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION - CLARE C
HARRISON
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingHomebuyer Education
MID-MICHIGAN COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY
Farwell
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPost-PurchasePre-Purchase

Find an Attorney

State Bar of Michigan Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Clare County residents at no cost.

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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