Oakland County, Michigan
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Oakland County. Population: 1,270,426 (metro).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Oakland County, MI ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 28.5 — 2941st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where housing costs consume a moderate share of household income. Within Michigan, it ranks 81st of 83 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Oakland County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Housing Cost Burden
Primary DriverDebt & Delinquency
Employment & Wages
Community Vulnerability
Income & Poverty
How Oakland County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland County, MI | 28.5 | Healthy | — |
| Wayne County, MI | 65.1 | Serious Stress | +36.6 |
| Genesee County, MI | 61.2 | Elevated | +32.7 |
| Lapeer County, MI | 48.4 | Normal | +19.9 |
| Macomb County, MI | 43.9 | Normal | +15.5 |
| Washtenaw County, MI | 39.3 | Normal | +10.9 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (metro) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara County, CA | 27.7 | Healthy | -0.7 |
| Nassau County, NY | 29.3 | Healthy | +0.8 |
| Fairfax County, VA | 26.6 | Healthy | -1.9 |
| Hennepin County, MN | 31.6 | Healthy | +3.1 |
| King County, WA | 31.8 | Healthy | +3.3 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Oakland County as a CSV file.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Oakland County, Michigan?
Oakland County has a County Distress Index score of 28.5 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,941st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 81st in Michigan out of 83 counties.
What drives financial distress in Oakland County?
The primary driver of distress in Oakland County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 57.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does Oakland County compare to neighboring counties?
Oakland County (28.5) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Wayne County, MI (65.1); Genesee County, MI (61.2); Lapeer County, MI (48.4).
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 Oakland County?
Oakland County, Michigan has a population of approximately 1,270,426 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.