Houghton County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Normal · 45.3 | 37,599 people · 60th most distressed in Michigan
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Houghton County, MI falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 45.3 — 1951st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Michigan, it ranks 60th of 83 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Houghton County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 66.5 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 66.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 90
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 87
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 43
Homeownership Rate 65
Rent-to-Income Ratio 48
Employment & Wages 65.2
Unemployment Rate 86
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 15
Business Formation Rate 95
Income & Poverty 57.1
Poverty Rate 73
Income vs. State Median 68
Child Poverty Rate 30
Community Vulnerability 20.2
Uninsured Rate 29
Disability Rate 11
Debt & Delinquency 17.7
Debt in Collections 10
Medical Debt 42
Student Loan Delinquency 22
Auto Loan Delinquency 7
Credit Card Delinquency 13
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 12

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Houghton County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Houghton County
Houghton County, MI 45.3 Normal —
Iron County, MI 61.5 Elevated +16.1
Ontonagon County, MI 53.6 Elevated +8.3
Keweenaw County, MI 47.5 Normal +2.1
Baraga County, MI 46.7 Normal +1.4
Marquette County, MI 44.8 Normal -0.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Houghton County
Jerome County, ID 45.4 Normal +0.0
Greene County, GA 45.3 Normal -0.0
Essex County, NY 45.4 Normal +0.0
Manassas Park city, VA 45.3 Normal -0.0
Morgan County, CO 45.3 Normal -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Houghton 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 Houghton 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 Houghton County, Michigan?

    Houghton County has a County Distress Index score of 45.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,951st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 60th in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Houghton County?

    The primary driver of distress in Houghton County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 66.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Houghton County compare to neighboring counties?

    Houghton County (45.3) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Iron County, MI (61.5); Ontonagon County, MI (53.6); Keweenaw County, MI (47.5).

  • 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 Houghton County?

    Houghton County, Michigan has a population of approximately 37,599 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.