Ogemaw County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Elevated · 63.7 | 20,990 people · 6th most distressed in Michigan
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Ogemaw County, MI registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 63.7 — 576th 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 6th of 83 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Ogemaw County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 85.8 — worse than roughly 86% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 85.8
Unemployment Rate 99
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 70
Business Formation Rate 89
Income & Poverty 74.1
Poverty Rate 66
Income vs. State Median 84
Child Poverty Rate 72
Housing Cost Burden 65.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 88
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 92
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 69
Homeownership Rate 9
Rent-to-Income Ratio 68
Community Vulnerability 53.2
Uninsured Rate 20
Disability Rate 86
Debt & Delinquency 40.5
Debt in Collections 43
Medical Debt 40
Student Loan Delinquency 47
Auto Loan Delinquency 32
Credit Card Delinquency 29
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 51

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Ogemaw County
Ogemaw County, MI 63.7 Elevated —
Oscoda County, MI 70.5 Serious +6.7
Roscommon County, MI 61.7 Elevated -2.0
Gladwin County, MI 59.6 Elevated -4.1
Arenac County, MI 59.1 Elevated -4.7
Iosco County, MI 57.4 Elevated -6.3
Crawford County, MI 56.0 Elevated -7.7
Alcona County, MI 53.0 Elevated -10.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Ogemaw County
Clarke County, MS 63.8 Elevated +0.0
Jefferson Davis County, MS 63.7 Elevated -0.0
Claiborne Parish, LA 63.7 Elevated -0.1
Clay County, AR 63.7 Elevated -0.1
Tazewell County, VA 63.7 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Ogemaw 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 Ogemaw 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 Ogemaw County, Michigan?

    Ogemaw County has a County Distress Index score of 63.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 576th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 6th in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Ogemaw County?

    The primary driver of distress in Ogemaw County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 85.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Ogemaw County compare to neighboring counties?

    Ogemaw County (63.7) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Oscoda County, MI (70.5); Roscommon County, MI (61.7); Gladwin County, MI (59.6).

  • 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 Ogemaw County?

    Ogemaw County, Michigan has a population of approximately 20,990 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.