Crawford County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.0 | 13,538 people · 21st most distressed in Michigan
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Crawford County, MI registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.0 — 1141st 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 21st of 83 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 8 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Crawford County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 71.8 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 71.8
Unemployment Rate 95
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 40
Business Formation Rate 81
Income & Poverty 59.4
Poverty Rate 54
Income vs. State Median 55
Child Poverty Rate 69
Community Vulnerability 58.5
Uninsured Rate 25
Disability Rate 92
Debt & Delinquency 46.0
Debt in Collections 48
Medical Debt 35
Student Loan Delinquency 46
Auto Loan Delinquency 44
Credit Card Delinquency 36
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 67
Housing Cost Burden 44.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 45
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 63
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 54
Homeownership Rate 12
Rent-to-Income Ratio 50

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Crawford County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Crawford County
Crawford County, MI 56.0 Elevated —
Oscoda County, MI 70.5 Serious +14.4
Montmorency County, MI 67.5 Serious +11.4
Ogemaw County, MI 63.7 Elevated +7.7
Roscommon County, MI 61.7 Elevated +5.7
Kalkaska County, MI 54.2 Elevated -1.9
Missaukee County, MI 48.8 Normal -7.2
Otsego County, MI 46.5 Normal -9.6
Antrim County, MI 37.9 Normal -18.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Crawford County
Rains County, TX 56.0 Elevated 0.0
Montgomery County, KY 56.0 Elevated -0.0
De Soto Parish, LA 56.0 Elevated -0.1
Fannin County, TX 56.1 Elevated +0.1
Caldwell County, KY 56.0 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Crawford 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 Crawford 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.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Michigan →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Crawford County, Michigan?

    Crawford County has a County Distress Index score of 56.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,141st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 21st in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Crawford County?

    The primary driver of distress in Crawford County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 71.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Crawford County compare to neighboring counties?

    Crawford County (56.0) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Oscoda County, MI (70.5); Montmorency County, MI (67.5); Ogemaw County, MI (63.7).

  • 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 Crawford County?

    Crawford County, Michigan has a population of approximately 13,538 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.