Lake County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Serious · 69.2 | 12,734 people · 3rd most distressed in Michigan
American Default Research

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Lake County, MI shows significant household financial distress with a score of 69.2 — 247th 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 3rd 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. Lake County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 89.7 — worse than roughly 90% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 89.7
Poverty Rate 89
Income vs. State Median 86
Child Poverty Rate 94
Employment & Wages 82.7
Unemployment Rate 93
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 79
Business Formation Rate 75
Community Vulnerability 72.3
Uninsured Rate 50
Disability Rate 95
Housing Cost Burden 62.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 83
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 87
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 57
Homeownership Rate 14
Rent-to-Income Ratio 71
Debt & Delinquency 39.2
Debt in Collections 50
Medical Debt 35
Student Loan Delinquency 46
Auto Loan Delinquency 14
Credit Card Delinquency 57
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 33

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lake County
Lake County, MI 69.2 Serious —
Mecosta County, MI 60.9 Elevated -8.3
Osceola County, MI 59.9 Elevated -9.4
Wexford County, MI 53.4 Elevated -15.8
Manistee County, MI 53.0 Elevated -16.3
Newaygo County, MI 50.3 Elevated -18.9
Oceana County, MI 48.7 Normal -20.5
Mason County, MI 48.7 Normal -20.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lake County
Bryan County, OK 69.2 Serious -0.0
Wayne County, MS 69.2 Serious -0.0
Harlan County, KY 69.3 Serious +0.0
Washington County, MO 69.2 Serious -0.1
Scott County, TN 69.2 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lake 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 Lake 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 Lake County, Michigan?

    Lake County has a County Distress Index score of 69.2 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 247th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 3rd in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lake County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lake County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 89.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Lake County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lake County (69.2) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Mecosta County, MI (60.9); Osceola County, MI (59.9); Wexford County, MI (53.4).

  • 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 Lake County?

    Lake County, Michigan has a population of approximately 12,734 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.