Lapeer County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Normal · 48.4 | 88,977 people · 50th most distressed in Michigan
American Default Research

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Lapeer County, MI falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 48.4 — 1714th 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 50th of 83 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lapeer County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 79.9 — worse than roughly 80% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 79.9
Unemployment Rate 87
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 87
Business Formation Rate 65
Housing Cost Burden 66.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 79
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 84
Homeownership Rate 2
Rent-to-Income Ratio 72
Debt & Delinquency 44.2
Debt in Collections 32
Medical Debt 41
Student Loan Delinquency 42
Auto Loan Delinquency 40
Credit Card Delinquency 37
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 72
Community Vulnerability 33.3
Uninsured Rate 22
Disability Rate 44
Income & Poverty 18.3
Poverty Rate 16
Income vs. State Median 19
Child Poverty Rate 21

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lapeer County
Lapeer County, MI 48.4 Normal —
Genesee County, MI 61.2 Elevated +12.8
Sanilac County, MI 52.5 Elevated +4.1
St. Clair County, MI 51.9 Elevated +3.5
Tuscola County, MI 50.3 Elevated +1.9
Macomb County, MI 43.9 Normal -4.5
Oakland County, MI 28.5 Healthy -19.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lapeer County
Saline County, KS 48.4 Normal 0.0
Bannock County, ID 48.4 Normal -0.0
Kennebec County, ME 48.4 Normal +0.0
Warren County, NY 48.4 Normal -0.0
Cecil County, MD 48.4 Normal +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lapeer 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 Lapeer 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 Lapeer County, Michigan?

    Lapeer County has a County Distress Index score of 48.4 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,714th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 50th in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lapeer County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lapeer County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 79.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Lapeer County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lapeer County (48.4) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Genesee County, MI (61.2); Sanilac County, MI (52.5); St. Clair County, MI (51.9).

  • 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 Lapeer County?

    Lapeer County, Michigan has a population of approximately 88,977 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.