Leelanau County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Healthy · 25.3 | 23,019 people · 83rd most distressed in Michigan
American Default Research

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Leelanau County, MI ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 25.3 — 3033rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Michigan, it ranks 83rd of 83 counties. It scores lower than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Leelanau County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 58.0 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 58.0
Unemployment Rate 64
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 94
Business Formation Rate 17
Housing Cost Burden 35.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 32
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 33
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 77
Homeownership Rate 0
Rent-to-Income Ratio 34
Community Vulnerability 18.3
Uninsured Rate 9
Disability Rate 28
Debt & Delinquency 8.4
Debt in Collections 4
Medical Debt 25
Student Loan Delinquency 5
Auto Loan Delinquency 6
Credit Card Delinquency 5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 6
Income & Poverty 6.6
Poverty Rate 4
Income vs. State Median 4
Child Poverty Rate 12

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Leelanau County
Leelanau County, MI 25.3 Healthy —
Schoolcraft County, MI 52.6 Elevated +27.3
Delta County, MI 50.2 Elevated +24.9
Benzie County, MI 44.6 Normal +19.3
Antrim County, MI 37.9 Normal +12.6
Charlevoix County, MI 32.7 Healthy +7.4
Grand Traverse County, MI 30.9 Healthy +5.6
Door County, WI 29.8 Healthy +4.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Leelanau County
Hancock County, IA 25.5 Healthy +0.2
Teton County, WY 25.1 Healthy -0.2
Wasatch County, UT 24.9 Healthy -0.4
Spencer County, IN 25.8 Healthy +0.4
Douglas County, MN 25.9 Healthy +0.5

Download Data

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

Find Help in Leelanau 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 Leelanau 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 Leelanau County, Michigan?

    Leelanau County has a County Distress Index score of 25.3 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,033rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 83rd in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Leelanau County?

    The primary driver of distress in Leelanau County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 58.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Leelanau County compare to neighboring counties?

    Leelanau County (25.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Schoolcraft County, MI (52.6); Delta County, MI (50.2); Benzie County, MI (44.6).

  • 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 Leelanau County?

    Leelanau County, Michigan has a population of approximately 23,019 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.