Ontonagon County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Elevated · 53.6 | 5,906 people · 23rd most distressed in Michigan
American Default Research

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Ontonagon County, MI registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 53.6 — 1320th 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 23rd of 83 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Ontonagon County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 89.7 — worse than roughly 90% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 89.7
Unemployment Rate 95
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 87
Business Formation Rate 87
Income & Poverty 68.9
Poverty Rate 46
Income vs. State Median 84
Child Poverty Rate 77
Community Vulnerability 47.0
Uninsured Rate 9
Disability Rate 85
Debt & Delinquency 31.9
Debt in Collections 26
Medical Debt 61
Student Loan Delinquency 46
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 46
Housing Cost Burden 30.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 26
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 23
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 34
Homeownership Rate 5
Rent-to-Income Ratio 65

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Ontonagon County
Ontonagon County, MI 53.6 Elevated —
Iron County, MI 61.5 Elevated +7.8
Gogebic County, MI 58.1 Elevated +4.5
Ashland County, WI 49.5 Normal -4.1
Keweenaw County, MI 47.5 Normal -6.2
Houghton County, MI 45.3 Normal -8.3
Cook County, MN 36.5 Normal -17.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Ontonagon County
Gilmer County, WV 53.6 Elevated -0.0
Wheatland County, MT 53.7 Elevated +0.0
Kimball County, NE 53.6 Elevated -0.0
Grundy County, MO 53.6 Elevated -0.1
Woods County, OK 53.6 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Ontonagon 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 Ontonagon 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 Ontonagon County, Michigan?

    Ontonagon County has a County Distress Index score of 53.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,320th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 23rd in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Ontonagon County?

    The primary driver of distress in Ontonagon County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 89.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Ontonagon County compare to neighboring counties?

    Ontonagon County (53.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Iron County, MI (61.5); Gogebic County, MI (58.1); Ashland County, WI (49.5).

  • 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 Ontonagon County?

    Ontonagon County, Michigan has a population of approximately 5,906 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.