Oceana County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Normal · 48.7 | 26,981 people · 47th most distressed in Michigan
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Oceana County, MI falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 48.7 — 1697th 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 47th 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. Oceana County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 73.9 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 73.9
Unemployment Rate 97
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 55
Business Formation Rate 70
Income & Poverty 55.8
Poverty Rate 60
Income vs. State Median 44
Child Poverty Rate 64
Community Vulnerability 55.0
Uninsured Rate 50
Disability Rate 60
Debt & Delinquency 34.6
Debt in Collections 41
Medical Debt 28
Student Loan Delinquency 85
Auto Loan Delinquency 36
Credit Card Delinquency 9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 9
Housing Cost Burden 24.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 22
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 23
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 46
Homeownership Rate 3
Rent-to-Income Ratio 27

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Oceana County
Oceana County, MI 48.7 Normal —
Lake County, MI 69.2 Serious +20.5
Muskegon County, MI 53.3 Elevated +4.6
Newaygo County, MI 50.3 Elevated +1.6
Mason County, MI 48.7 Normal -0.1
Sheboygan County, WI 27.5 Healthy -21.2
Ozaukee County, WI 21.8 Healthy -26.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Oceana County
Sullivan County, NH 48.7 Normal +0.0
Mason County, MI 48.7 Normal -0.1
Boyle County, KY 48.8 Normal +0.1
Missaukee County, MI 48.8 Normal +0.1
Itasca County, MN 48.8 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Oceana 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 Oceana 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 Oceana County, Michigan?

    Oceana County has a County Distress Index score of 48.7 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,697th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 47th in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Oceana County?

    The primary driver of distress in Oceana County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 73.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Oceana County compare to neighboring counties?

    Oceana County (48.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Lake County, MI (69.2); Muskegon County, MI (53.3); Newaygo County, MI (50.3).

  • 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 Oceana County?

    Oceana County, Michigan has a population of approximately 26,981 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.