Isabella County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Elevated · 61.5 | 64,118 people · 9th most distressed in Michigan
American Default Research

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Isabella County, MI registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 61.5 — 717th 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 9th of 83 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Isabella County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 80.7 — worse than roughly 81% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 80.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 93
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 96
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 57
Homeownership Rate 91
Rent-to-Income Ratio 66
Income & Poverty 69.7
Poverty Rate 89
Income vs. State Median 78
Child Poverty Rate 42
Employment & Wages 66.3
Unemployment Rate 85
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 39
Business Formation Rate 75
Debt & Delinquency 48.0
Debt in Collections 48
Medical Debt 41
Student Loan Delinquency 57
Auto Loan Delinquency 45
Credit Card Delinquency 41
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 54
Community Vulnerability 42.6
Uninsured Rate 45
Disability Rate 40

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Isabella County
Isabella County, MI 61.5 Elevated —
Clare County, MI 69.7 Serious +8.3
Mecosta County, MI 60.9 Elevated -0.5
Osceola County, MI 59.9 Elevated -1.6
Gladwin County, MI 59.6 Elevated -1.8
Montcalm County, MI 53.6 Elevated -7.9
Gratiot County, MI 50.4 Elevated -11.1
Midland County, MI 36.4 Normal -25.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Isabella County
St. Francois County, MO 61.5 Elevated +0.0
Kent County, DE 61.4 Elevated -0.1
Carroll County, GA 61.3 Elevated -0.1
Cherokee County, TX 61.3 Elevated -0.1
Marion County, OH 61.6 Elevated +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Isabella 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 Isabella 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 →

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Isabella County has a County Distress Index score of 61.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 717th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 9th in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Isabella County?

    The primary driver of distress in Isabella County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 80.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Isabella County compare to neighboring counties?

    Isabella County (61.5) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Clare County, MI (69.7); Mecosta County, MI (60.9); Osceola County, MI (59.9).

  • 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 Isabella County?

    Isabella County, Michigan has a population of approximately 64,118 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.