Otsego County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Normal · 46.5 | 25,747 people · 59th most distressed in Michigan
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Otsego County, MI falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 46.5 — 1861st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Michigan, it ranks 59th of 83 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Otsego County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 61.3 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 61.3
Unemployment Rate 87
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 49
Business Formation Rate 48
Debt & Delinquency 50.3
Debt in Collections 37
Medical Debt 30
Student Loan Delinquency 62
Auto Loan Delinquency 68
Credit Card Delinquency 68
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 39
Housing Cost Burden 49.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 90
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 53
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 46
Homeownership Rate 29
Rent-to-Income Ratio 29
Community Vulnerability 43.4
Uninsured Rate 31
Disability Rate 56
Income & Poverty 27.6
Poverty Rate 24
Income vs. State Median 23
Child Poverty Rate 37

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Otsego County
Otsego County, MI 46.5 Normal —
Oscoda County, MI 70.5 Serious +24.0
Montmorency County, MI 67.5 Serious +21.0
Crawford County, MI 56.0 Elevated +9.6
Kalkaska County, MI 54.2 Elevated +7.7
Cheboygan County, MI 52.5 Elevated +6.1
Antrim County, MI 37.9 Normal -8.6
Charlevoix County, MI 32.7 Healthy -13.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Otsego County
Klickitat County, WA 46.5 Normal -0.0
Burleson County, TX 46.4 Normal -0.1
Mille Lacs County, MN 46.5 Normal +0.1
Montgomery County, IA 46.6 Normal +0.1
Potter County, PA 46.3 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Otsego 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 Otsego 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 Otsego County, Michigan?

    Otsego County has a County Distress Index score of 46.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,861st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 59th in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Otsego County?

    The primary driver of distress in Otsego County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 61.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Otsego County compare to neighboring counties?

    Otsego County (46.5) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Oscoda County, MI (70.5); Montmorency County, MI (67.5); Crawford County, MI (56.0).

  • 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 Otsego County?

    Otsego County, Michigan has a population of approximately 25,747 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.