Mecosta County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Elevated · 60.9 | 41,099 people · 12th most distressed in Michigan
American Default Research

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Mecosta County, MI registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 60.9 — 759th 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 12th of 83 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Mecosta County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 77.7 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 77.7
Unemployment Rate 91
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 64
Business Formation Rate 78
Income & Poverty 70.6
Poverty Rate 80
Income vs. State Median 55
Child Poverty Rate 77
Housing Cost Burden 57.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 84
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 88
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 28
Homeownership Rate 42
Rent-to-Income Ratio 44
Community Vulnerability 54.0
Uninsured Rate 47
Disability Rate 61
Debt & Delinquency 45.1
Debt in Collections 42
Medical Debt 27
Student Loan Delinquency 71
Auto Loan Delinquency 35
Credit Card Delinquency 60
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 35

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Mecosta County
Mecosta County, MI 60.9 Elevated —
Clare County, MI 69.7 Serious +8.8
Lake County, MI 69.2 Serious +8.3
Isabella County, MI 61.5 Elevated +0.5
Osceola County, MI 59.9 Elevated -1.1
Montcalm County, MI 53.6 Elevated -7.4
Newaygo County, MI 50.3 Elevated -10.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Mecosta County
Northampton County, VA 60.9 Elevated -0.0
Logan County, WV 60.9 Elevated -0.0
Glenn County, CA 60.9 Elevated -0.1
Crockett County, TN 61.0 Elevated +0.1
Gilchrist County, FL 60.8 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Mecosta 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 Mecosta 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 Mecosta County, Michigan?

    Mecosta County has a County Distress Index score of 60.9 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 759th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 12th in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Mecosta County?

    The primary driver of distress in Mecosta County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 77.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Mecosta County compare to neighboring counties?

    Mecosta County (60.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Clare County, MI (69.7); Lake County, MI (69.2); Isabella County, MI (61.5).

  • 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 Mecosta County?

    Mecosta County, Michigan has a population of approximately 41,099 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.