Livingston County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Healthy · 25.3 | 196,757 people · 82nd most distressed in Michigan
American Default Research

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Livingston County, MI ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 25.3 — 3031st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Michigan, it ranks 82nd of 83 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Livingston County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 57.2 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 57.2
Unemployment Rate 41
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 82
Business Formation Rate 48
Housing Cost Burden 42.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 74
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 51
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 76
Homeownership Rate 2
Rent-to-Income Ratio 10
Debt & Delinquency 19.0
Debt in Collections 9
Medical Debt 34
Student Loan Delinquency 10
Auto Loan Delinquency 7
Credit Card Delinquency 10
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 45
Community Vulnerability 6.5
Uninsured Rate 2
Disability Rate 11
Income & Poverty 1.3
Poverty Rate 1
Income vs. State Median 1
Child Poverty Rate 1

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Livingston County
Livingston County, MI 25.3 Healthy —
Genesee County, MI 61.2 Elevated +35.9
Jackson County, MI 52.1 Elevated +26.7
Shiawassee County, MI 49.6 Normal +24.2
Ingham County, MI 48.2 Normal +22.9
Washtenaw County, MI 39.3 Normal +14.0
Oakland County, MI 28.5 Healthy +3.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Livingston County
Columbia County, WI 25.3 Healthy 0.0
Geauga County, OH 25.3 Healthy -0.1
Olmsted County, MN 25.8 Healthy +0.4
St. Croix County, WI 25.9 Healthy +0.5
Broomfield County, CO 24.6 Healthy -0.8

Download Data

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

Find Help in Livingston 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 Livingston 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 Livingston County, Michigan?

    Livingston County has a County Distress Index score of 25.3 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,031st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 82nd in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Livingston County?

    The primary driver of distress in Livingston County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 57.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Livingston County compare to neighboring counties?

    Livingston County (25.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Genesee County, MI (61.2); Jackson County, MI (52.1); Shiawassee County, MI (49.6).

  • 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 Livingston County?

    Livingston County, Michigan has a population of approximately 196,757 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.