Clinton County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Healthy · 29.1 | 79,720 people · 80th most distressed in Michigan
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Clinton County, MI ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 29.1 — 2919th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Michigan, it ranks 80th of 83 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Clinton County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 63.9 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 63.9
Unemployment Rate 55
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 72
Business Formation Rate 64
Housing Cost Burden 43.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 55
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 72
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 73
Homeownership Rate 8
Rent-to-Income Ratio 9
Debt & Delinquency 21.6
Debt in Collections 14
Medical Debt 25
Student Loan Delinquency 21
Auto Loan Delinquency 16
Credit Card Delinquency 13
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 41
Community Vulnerability 13.1
Uninsured Rate 4
Disability Rate 22
Income & Poverty 3.6
Poverty Rate 4
Income vs. State Median 4
Child Poverty Rate 3

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Clinton County
Clinton County, MI 29.1 Healthy —
Montcalm County, MI 53.6 Elevated +24.5
Gratiot County, MI 50.4 Elevated +21.3
Shiawassee County, MI 49.6 Normal +20.5
Ionia County, MI 49.5 Normal +20.4
Ingham County, MI 48.2 Normal +19.1
Eaton County, MI 40.8 Normal +11.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Clinton County
Hendricks County, IN 29.1 Healthy 0.0
Fauquier County, VA 28.9 Healthy -0.1
Jefferson County, WV 29.2 Healthy +0.1
Washington County, VT 28.9 Healthy -0.2
Hancock County, IN 28.8 Healthy -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Clinton 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 Clinton 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 Clinton County, Michigan?

    Clinton County has a County Distress Index score of 29.1 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,919th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 80th in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Clinton County?

    The primary driver of distress in Clinton County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 63.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Clinton County compare to neighboring counties?

    Clinton County (29.1) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Montcalm County, MI (53.6); Gratiot County, MI (50.4); Shiawassee County, MI (49.6).

  • 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 Clinton County?

    Clinton County, Michigan has a population of approximately 79,720 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.